Incident
Russia criminalizes 'fake' reporting on the military, up to 15 years in prison
Russia's parliament passed a law criminalizing the publication of information about the military that contradicts official statements, with penalties up to 15 years in prison, prompting Novaya Gazeta to pull its Ukraine war coverage and the BBC, CNN and other outlets to suspend operations inside Russia.1234
What happened
On March 4, 2022, Russia's parliament passed a law criminalizing the publication of what officials called deliberately false information about the military, including reporting on the invasion of Ukraine that contradicted official statements, with penalties of up to three years for a basic offense and up to 15 years in cases deemed to have caused severe consequences. Parliament speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said the law was meant to protect Russian soldiers and the truth. Novaya Gazeta, one of Russia's few remaining independent outlets, removed its Ukraine war coverage from its site, warning that restrictions on reporting had moved from threats of blocking outlets to threats of criminal prosecution of journalists and ordinary citizens. The BBC suspended its Russian news operations, with director-general Tim Davie saying the safety of staff came first, and other foreign broadcasters and independent Russian outlets closed or left the country in the days that followed.1234
What reason was given
Stated justificationParliament speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said the law was needed "to protect our soldiers and officers, and to protect the truth."1
What changed for reporting
Independent and foreign reporting on the war from inside Russia largely ended within days, as outlets weighed the risk of years-long prison sentences for staff against continuing to report on the invasion.24
Timeline
2022
Who acted
| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
|---|---|---|
| State Duma of Russia | legislated | Lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia |
| Vladimir Putin | ordered | President of Russia |
Outlets and journalists
| Name | Kind | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| BBC | outlet | affected |
| Novaya Gazeta | outlet | affected |
Sources
- Russia's parliament approves jail for 'fake' war reports
- Complete censorship in Russia: Novaya Gazeta removes its materials on war in Ukraine
Claims and evidence
Each numbered claim quotes the source it rests on.
- Parliament speaker Volodin said the law was meant to protect Russian soldiers and officers and to protect the truth.
We are doing this to protect our soldiers and officers, and to protect the truth.
Russia's parliament approves jail for 'fake' war reports, Al Jazeera, 2022-03-04.Claim 414, checked 2026-09-22. - The BBC's director-general said the safety of staff came first in the decision to suspend Russian news operations.
The safety of our staff is paramount and we are not prepared to expose them to the risk of criminal prosecution
Russia's parliament approves jail for 'fake' war reports, Al Jazeera, 2022-03-04.Claim 415, checked 2026-09-22. - Novaya Gazeta said restrictions on reporting had escalated from threats to close outlets to threats of criminal prosecution of journalists and citizens.
from the threat of blocking and closing down publications (almost fully implemented) to the threat of criminal prosecution of both journalists and citizens who disseminate information about the fighting that differs from the Ministry of Defence press releases.
Complete censorship in Russia: Novaya Gazeta removes its materials on war in Ukraine, Ukrainska Pravda, 2022-03-04.Claim 416, checked 2026-09-22. - Novaya Gazeta said the law carried huge fines and the prospect of an outlet's closure.
huge fines and the prospect of closure of the media outlet
Complete censorship in Russia: Novaya Gazeta removes its materials on war in Ukraine, Ukrainska Pravda, 2022-03-04.Claim 417, checked 2026-09-22.