Russian MPs pass 1st reading of bill designating individuals as foreign agent media

The lower house of the Russian parliament has passed the first reading of a bill which demands that foreign agent media outlets set up Russian legal entities and which makes it possible to designate individuals as foreign agent media. The bill complements the foreign agent media law passed by the State Duma late last year in response to the demand made by the US Department of Justice that the US branch of Russia’s RT TV channel register as a foreign agent, TASS reports. If a media outlet is designated as a foreign agent, it must set up a Russian legal entity, acting as a foreign agent, in order to disseminate printed information, audio and video reports, according to the bill. Russian legal entities are also to be set up within a month after a media outlet is designated as a foreign agent.