Russian lawmakers proposed a new bill which would give the Prosecutor General’s Office new powers to close and block both foreign and domestic media outlets that “disrespect” the country’s government or discredit the army. The draft bill proposed to amend Article 57 of the Russian Mass Media Law. The proposed amendments would also bar Russian journalists from quoting foreign publications and authorize the Prosecutor General’s Office to invalidate the registration of a media outlet. The staff of such media outlet would lose their accreditation in Russia. MPs were told the law was aimed at creating a “legal framework” for taking “symmetrical measures against foreign media in the event” that Western countries impose sanctions on Russian media.