Russian Federation - December 2023

Russia’s Supreme Court ruled on 12 December that electoral laws that bar media organizations from campaigning for or creating materials in support of political candidates also apply to private individuals. The ruling means that producing or disseminating any campaign materials, in person or online, that were not produced by the official campaign can be found illegal and those responsible can be fined up to 2500 RUB (about 30 USD) for each instance. The ruling was intended to ensure that bloggers and social media users would be adequately covered by the legislation in advance of 2024 elections. Speaking to trade publication Advokatskaya Gazeta said the ruling suggests Russia’s upcoming elections will be strictly controlled by the judiciary and other relevant authorities.

Sources: Kommersant, Advokatskaya Gazeta