(Reuters) – CNN will stop broadcasting in Russia, the news channel said on Friday after the introduction of a new law there that could jail anyone intentionally spreading “fake” news.
Russian officials have said that false information has been spread by Russia’s enemies such as the United States and its Western European allies in an attempt to sow discord among the Russian people.
Lawmakers passed amendments to the criminal code making the spread of “fake” information an offence punishable with fines or jail terms. They also imposed fines for anyone calling for sanctions against Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.
“CNN will stop broadcasting in Russia while we continue to evaluate the situation and our next steps moving forward,” a spokesperson said.
News organizations including the BBC and Canadian Broadcasting Corp have also suspended reporting from Russia following the passing of the law.
Russia has called its actions in Ukraine a “special operation”.
(Reporting by Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)
