On 23 August 2023, a court in Moscow registered a case against the founder of TV Rain Natalia Sindeeva, who was accused of not adding a disclaimer on her “foreign agent” status in her publications. A hearing in Sindeeva’s case was scheduled for September 14. If found guilty, she faces a fine of up to 50 thousand rubles.
The journalist was designated as a “foreign agent” in October 2022, after having permanently left Russia similarly to other independent Russian journalists following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In July, TV Rain was designated as an “undesirable organization” in Russia, a decision which de facto banned all activities by the media outlet in the country.
Initially adopted in 2012, Russia’s law on foreign agents has been revised several times over the past decade to include an ever-wider range of potential targets for state-sponsored discrimination. Currently, any organization, media or private individual can be designated as such simply by being declared to be “under foreign influence” by the Russian Ministry of Justice or because of receiving funds of any amount from abroad (or from an entity itself receiving foreign funds). “Foreign agents” are also barred from receiving state financing, teaching at state universities, working with minors and providing expertise on environmental issues, among other restrictions.
UPDATE: On 12 February 2024, a court in Moscow fined Sindeeva 40 thousands rubles on grounds of not respecting Russian legislation on “foreign agents”.