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BBC halts reporting in Russia after new law passes

04 March 2022 23:35 (UTC +04:00)

The BBC said it was temporarily suspending its operations in Russia on Friday after the country’s parliament passed a censorship law that penalizes anyone deemed to be “discrediting” the Russian military with 15 years in prison, APA reports citing Reuters.

The British broadcaster said the legislation “appears to criminalize the process of independent journalism” and said it had “no other option” than to stop its journalists and support staff from working.

The company, which said this week that its recent coverage was drawing record audiences in Russia, said on Friday that it will still offer Russian-language news from outside Russia and that its journalists in Ukraine will continue to report on the Russian invasion.

“The safety of our staff is paramount and we are not prepared to expose them to the risk of criminal prosecution simply for doing their jobs,” the BBC’s director-general, Tim Davie, said in a statement. “We remain committed to making accurate, independent information available to audiences around the world, including the millions of Russians who use our news services.”