Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved changes to a law that will curtail media coverage of next year’s presidential election, according to local news agencies.
The elections are due to be held in March. The 71-year-old president, who has led the country for 24 years, is expected to stand for another six-year term. Putin has not officially declared he will run, saying he will announce that only after parliament formally sets the election date.
The changes Putin greenlighted limit coverage of Central Election Commission sessions to registered media outlets, which could exclude freelancers or independent journalists, according to the reports on Tuesday.
The amendments prohibit media from reporting on the commission’s actions at military bases or in areas under martial law without advance clearance from regional and military authorities.
They also bar the publication of any campaign content on “blocked sources”, referring to restricted websites and social media services.
Under an intensifying crackdown on the opposition and the flow of information, Russia has banned an array of websites and services, including Facebook and Instagram.
To enforce this ban, the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media also reportedly plans to block certain virtual private networks (VPNs) that Russians widely use to bypass internet restrictions.
