Report: Russian Free-Speech Crackdown Intensified Since 2012
Russian laws passed since President Vladimir Putin’s 2012 return to the power have dramatically strengthened Kremlin control over the flow of information online and off, according to a new study by a London-based rights group. The report, issued by PEN International’s Moscow and St. Petersburg offices, outlines restrictions on free expression since the beginning of Putin’s third term. The report covers legislation that criminalizes criticism of the government, the increasing propagandizing of state-run media, and efforts to target libraries for possessing vaguely defined “extremist materials.” “Russia’s aggressive assault on free expression is happening on all fronts, with the crackdown affecting …