PRESS: Parliamentarians draft acceptable Web, media behavior rules

MOSCOW, Dec 13 (PRIME) -- A group of Russian parliamentarians submitted on Wednesday bills to change the existing rules of information distribution in the Internet and mass media, including up to 15 days of arrest of Internet users for evident disrespect to society and the state, business daily Kommersant reported on Thursday.

The bills include a ban on distribution in the Internet of information that contains “a clear disrespect in an indecent form to the society, the state, the official state symbols, the constitution, and the authorities.”

The general prosecutor and his deputies will be able to demand that the communications service block such information without court proceedings. Publication of such materials will be treated as disorderly conduct with a fine of 1,000–5,000 rubles or arrest up to 15 days.

Lawyer and member of the Human Rights Council Yury Kostanov said the amendments mean resurrection of the rules of the Soviet Criminal Code on persecution for anti-Soviet activities.

The bills also forbid distribution in mass media and the Internet of fake socially-important information, which threatens life and health of citizens or triggers massive violations of public order or public security.

(66.4225 rubles – U.S. $1)

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