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WORLD NEWS Saturday 5 March 2022
Russian lawmakers approve prison for ‘fake’ war reports

By JAMES ELLINGWORTH Liberty, German broad-
DUSSELDORF, Germany caster Deutsche Welle and
(AP) — Russians could Latvia-based website Me-
face prison sentences of duza. Together, they are
up to 15 years for spread- among the most influential
ing information that goes and often critical foreign
against the Russian gov- media publishing in Russian.
ernment’s position on the As of early afternoon in
war in Ukraine, a move that Moscow, the BBC website
comes as authorities block showed a message from
access to foreign media Roskomnadzor that it had
outlets. been blocked. Radio Free
The Russian parliament Europe Russian-language
voted unanimously Friday content was not reach-
to approve a draft law able, but Voice of America
criminalizing the intentional content remained acces-
spreading of what Russia sible.
deems to be “fake” reports. The BBC posted instruc-
Russian authorities have re- tions on Twitter about how
peatedly decried reports Russian readers could work
of Russian military setbacks around the block by using
or civilian deaths in Ukraine apps or the “dark web.”
as “fake” reports. State me- The BBC sign outside the entrance to the headquarters of the publicly funded media organisation “Access to accurate, inde-
in London, July 19, 2017.
dia outlets refer to Russia’s Associated Press pendent information is a
invasion of Ukraine as a fundamental human right
“special military operation” understand, that we are Davie said the BBC’s Rus- ganizations based abroad which should not be de-
rather than a “war” or “in- doing this to protect our sian-language news ser- which publish news in Rus- nied to the people of Rus-
vasion.” soldiers and officers, and to vice would continue to op- sian. sia, millions of whom rely on
The draft law was ap- protect the truth.” erate from outside Russia. They had published “false BBC News every week. We
proved by the lower and The BBC said Friday it was The law envisages sentenc- information,” the regulator will continue our efforts to
upper houses of parliament temporarily stopping the es of up to three years or said in a statement carried make BBC News available
in quick succession and is work of all its journalists and fines for spreading what au- by Russian news agencies, in Russia, and across the
now set to be signed into support staff in Russia while thorities deem to be false on subjects including “the rest of the world,” the BBC
law by President Vladimir it assessed the implications news about the military, methods of carrying out said.
Putin to take effect as soon of the new law. but the maximum punish- combat activities (attacks Earlier this week the BBC
as Saturday, the speaker BBC Director-General Tim ment rises to 15 years for on the civilian population, said it was bringing back
of the lower house, Vy- Davie said the legislation cases deemed to have led strikes on civil infrastructure shortwave radio transmis-
acheslav Volodin, said. “appears to criminalize the to “severe consequences,” objects), the numbers of sion to Ukraine and parts of
“It is possible that by tomor- process of independent the lower house of parlia- losses of the Russian Fed- Russia so people can listen
row, its rules will force those journalism.” ment said. eration Armed Forces and to its programs with basic
lied and made statements “The safety of our staff is The kind of material which victims among the civilian equipment.
discrediting our armed paramount and we are not faces official disapproval population.” Some well-known media
forces to bear very grave prepared to expose them was made clear Friday as The blocks affect the BBC, outlets within Russia have
punishment,” Volodin said. to the risk of criminal prose- the communications regu- the U.S. government-fund- chosen to close rather than
“I want everyone to under- cution simply for doing their lator, Roskomnadzor, said it ed Voice of America and face heavy restrictions on
stand, and for society to jobs,” he said. was blocking five media or- Radio Free Europe/Radio what they can report.q

U.S. to resume some visa services in Cuba after 4-year break

By ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ he did not give a date. aid from Venezuela. CIA findings released in had used microwaves
Associated Press Most visas will continue to Most U.S. diplomats were January determined it or other forms of direct-
HAVANA (AP) — The U.S. be processed in Guyana withdrawn from Cuba in was unlikely that Russia or ed energy to attack the
government announced on the South American 2017 after the administra- another foreign adversary Americans.q
Thursday that it would re- mainland a costly and tion of then-President Don-
sume limited processing of difficult journey away for ald Trump accused Cuba
immigrant visas in Havana most Cubans. of targeting some at the
more than four years after Zúñiga-Brown said the U.S. post with weapons that
halting that service and is interested in “safe and that caused lingering and
removing most diplomats legal” immigration, par- sometimes serious brain in-
from Cuba over suspicions ticularly for family reunifi- juries — allegations Cuba
they had been targeted cation cases which had has always denied. Cana-
for mysterious attacks. been complicated by the dian diplomats also report-
The Havana embassy’s withdrawal of diplomats. ed such incidents.
chargé d’ affaires, Timothy Cuba last year saw a surge While the maladies came
Zúñiga-Brown, announced in unauthorized migration to be called “Havana Syn-
that the consulate would attempts fueled in part by drome,” they were also
soon begin processing an economic crisis that reported by hundreds of
some immigrant visas for was exacerbated by the American officials at mis-
which documentation al- pandemic, increased U.S. sions around the world A classic American car drives past the United States Embassy,
ready is complete, though sanctions and cutbacks in and even in Washington. in Havana, Cuba, Thursday, March 3, 2022.
Associated Press