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National Security Council condemns Russia efforts to 'undermine free press'

Ukrainians and participants attend a march to protest Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Tokyo, Japan on Saturday. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI
1 of 2 | Ukrainians and participants attend a march to protest Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Tokyo, Japan on Saturday. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo

March 5 (UPI) -- The U.S. National Security Council on Saturday released a statement condemning efforts by Russia to "undermine free press."

Emily Horne, the spokesperson for the interagency advisory group, said in the statement that Russia's censorship agency "has shuttered independent Russian media outlets, blocked social media, and restricted access in Russia to international news outlets."

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"We condemn the move by the Russian Federation Council to approve a law threatening prison sentences of up to 15 years for journalists and ordinary citizens that would spread so-called 'false' information about Putin's unconscionable war in Ukraine," Horne said.

Horne also praised steps taken by global companies to contest Russian efforts to spread disinformation."The United States firmly believes that the best way to accomplish this goal is to hold accountable the propaganda media and disinformation proxies that disseminate Putin's lies," she said.

"Through their principled actions, like-minded governments, private companies, and non-governmental organizations are demonstrating leadership in this moment."

The statement comes after social media giant TikTok on Saturday unveiled new labels for posts made by Russian state-controlled media accounts to combat disinformation about the invasion of Ukraine.

The BBC announced Thursday it would resurrect its World War II-era shortwave radio broadcasts in Russia after the country blocked access to its websites.

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Roskomnadzor, the Russian media regulator, said in a press release Friday that Facebook would be blocked while claiming that the social media platform discriminated against Russian media and information resources.

Facebook said it refused to comply with Russia's request to stop labeling and fact-checking state-run media sites including Russia Today and Sputnik. The company is also blocking access to the state media sites in Britain and the European Union.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has also approved a law that targets journalists and criminalizes any reports that the government considers to be "false news" about the Ukraine invasion.

According to a lengthy list compiled by Axios, global companies operating outside of the media industry have either suspended or abandoned their operations in Russia because of Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

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