[JURIST] Human Rights Watch [advocacy website] on Wednesday urged [press release] Russian president Vladimir Putin [BBC backgrounder] to veto a series of amendments that would severely limit the freedom of the media. The new amendments seek to limit foreign involvement in Russian media by prohibiting any foreign entity from owning more than 20 percent of a Russian media outlet. While Russian authorities cite national security as their rationale behind the laws, human rights groups are calling these amendments an effort to limit and control the news reaching Russian citizens. The amendments were adopted by the lower chamber of the parliament last week, and were then endorsed by the upper chamber earlier this week.

The Kremlin has recently unleashed a crackdown on Russian citizens’ freedom of expression, particularly on criticism of the government. In April Russia’s upper house of parliament approved a set of bills that apply new restrictions on the Internet and blogging [JURIST report], a move widely criticized by both pro-democracy activists and Russia’s technology sector alike. In February a Russian court sentenced seven anti-Putin protesters [JURIST report] to up to four years in prison for rioting and inciting violence against police at a 2012 protest. In November a Moscow court ruled that the Russian government could seize the assets [JURIST report] of Alexei Navalny, a prominent critic of the president. In October a Russian appeals court upheld [JURIST report] Navalny’s embezzlement conviction but suspended his five-year jail sentence, allowing him to walk free. In June the UN released a letter from human rights experts voicing their concern [JURIST report] that two Russian non-governmental organizations have been charged by Russian prosecutors following their involvement with the UN Committee against Torture [official website]. A Russian court famously sentenced [JURIST report] two members of the band Pussy Riot [JURIST news archive] to prison for songs with an anti-Kremlin sentiment.