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| GETX24 |
The BBC has taken this step in protest of a new law that would have sent any journalist to prison for spreading false news against the Russian military.
Local time on Friday (March 4) the BBC's director general Tim Dewey said the law appeared to be hampering the process of independent journalism.
Access to the BBC's website in Russia has already been restricted, the BBC reports. Russia's state-owned news agency RIA also reported that Deutsche Welle, Medusa and Radio Liberty had limited their services.
Russia's lower house of parliament has passed a new law criminalizing the spread of "fake news" against Russia's armed forces. The new law provides for a large fine as well as a maximum of 15 years imprisonment. The law also provides for the prosecution of anyone who calls for sanctions against Russia.
Russia, meanwhile, has called the ongoing aggression in Ukraine a "special military operation" rather than a war. As a result, Russia's latest independent media outlet, TV Rain, stopped broadcasting on Thursday.
All the employees of that channel have resigned during the live. Natalia Cindeva, one of the channel's founders, declared "No to War" in her last broadcast. During this time the staff left the studio one by one. The channel later said in a statement that it had suspended operations indefinitely.