Russia Warns Media on Religious Content
The Warnings on Religious Insults Come As The Kremlin Tries to Avoid Provoking Muslim Minority
By Olga Razumovskaya
Jan. 20, 2015 12:43 p.m. ET
MOSCOW--Russia’s media watchdog has issued warnings to five media outlets since the attack on France’s Charlie Hebdo magazine, reminding them that insulting religious groups is a taboo under Russian law.
The admonitions come as the Kremlin tries to avoid arousing its substantial Muslim minority, many of whom reside in Russia’s mountainous North Caucasus region, where an Islamist insurgency is simmering.
A spokesman for the media watchdog, Roskomnadzor, declined to name the media outlets but confirmed that a website, Respublika, was the first to get a warning.
The warning gives Roskomnadzor the right to pursue legal action to revoke a media company’s license. In most cases this isn't necessary and only happens if it commits further violations, said the spokesman, Vadim Ampelonsky.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-warns-media-on-religious-content-1421775837
http://rkn.gov.ru/eng/
