RUSSIA: Russian politicians have voted for restrictions on the news media after a Moscow newspaper reported that Russian president Vladimir Putin had divorced his wife and planned to marry a champion gymnast.
The state Duma voted 339-1 yesterday to allow authorities to suspend and close down media outlets for libel and slander following the story, which was denied by both Mr Putin and the former gymnast.
Under the new law, slander and libel, defined as "dissemination of deliberately false information damaging individual honour and dignity", is subject to the same sanctions as the promotion of terrorism, extremism and racial hatred.
Moscowsky Korrespondent earlier this month had claimed that Mr Putin (55) had divorced his wife, Lyudmila, and planned to marry Alina Kabayeva (24).
Ms Kabayeva, who won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games, is widely regarded as one of Russia's most beautiful women. The gymnast is often seen on talk and reality television shows and is now a Duma member from a pro-Kremlin party.
The Bill now goes to the upper house, where approval for it is likely, and then to Mr Putin for signing.
The tabloid newspaper was closed down on Wednesday after Moscow authorities banned its distribution and the chief editor resigned, its owner, Alexander Lebedev, told Echo Mosvky radio.
Critics claim that Mr Putin has presided over a steady rollback of post-Soviet media and political freedoms.
Under Mr Putin, all the major national television networks have come under the control of the Kremlin or its allies, and Russia's print media have also experienced growing official pressure. -