The editor-in-chief of the Kremlin-run RT news network, Margarita Simonyan, said its U.S. branch has registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
The 1938 law, designed to target Nazi propaganda, has been the driving force behind escalating U.S.-Russia tensions in recent weeks. Washington DC gave RT a Monday deadline to register as a “foreign agent” following allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
"Between a criminal case and registration, we chose the latter," Simonyan wrote today in a tweet. "For which we congratulate American freedom of speech and all those who still believe in it."
Russia could hit back at all foreign media and not just U.S.-based outlets in retaliation, the Vedomosti business daily reported Monday, with CNN, VOA, Radio Liberty and Deutsche Welle expected to face restrictions.
Russia's sanctions on foreign media could be codified in amendments to Russia’s law on “undesirable organizations," according to Vedomosti.
The State Duma announced on Friday that lawmakers were also drafting amendments to the 2012 foreign agent law to include media organizations. The law requires NGOs that receive foreign funding to register as “foreign agents” and display the label on all their literature and websites.
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