MOSCOW, October 8. /TASS/. Russian Ministry of Justice included nine journalists and three companies, including the owner of Bellingcat, in the foreign agents list, the Ministry press service told TASS Friday.
"On October 8, 2021, in order to enforce the current Russian legislation, the following people have been included in the list of mass media acting as foreign agents: Galina Arapova, Tatiana Voltskaya, Andrey Zakharov, Yekaterina Klepikovskaya, Roman Perl, Yevgeny Simonov, Yelena Solovyova, Daniil Sotnikov, Yelizaveta Surnacheva. Besides, MEMO LLC, as well ass Mason G.E.S. Anonymous Foundation (United States), owner of mnews.world website, and Stichting Bellingcat (the Netherlands), have also been included in the list," the Ministry said.
The mentioned journalists are current and former reporters of BBC Russia, Dozhd TV channel, Nastoyascheye Vremya, 7x7, and Radio Liberty.
Currently, the list includes 85 people and companies. The Russian law on mass media acting as foreign agents was adopted in 2017, after the US Department of Justice demanded that RT America registered as a foreign agent operating on US territory. Under the law, the mass media deemed foreign agents are subjected to the same requirements as nonprofits deemed foreign agents. They must report on the management membership, spending, audit and mark their publication, pointing out their foreign agent status.