The amendments on foreign media went into effect after President Vladimir Putin signed off on them on Saturday, allowing Russian authorities to label outlets as "foreign agents" for receiving funding from abroad. However, it would not apply to Russian media outlets backed by foreign capital.

Under the law, Russia's Ministry of Justice will decide on assigning the controversial label to international media outlets on a case-by-case basis.

Last week, it published a list of several outlets that would likely be affected by the new law, including US-funded Voice of America and Radio Free Europe.

Read more: Russia prepares to label US media as 'foreign agents'

Russian officials repeatedly stated that the measure was a tit-for-tat response after the United States made a similar move targeting Russia's foreign broadcaster RT, formerly Russia Today, and the Sputnik news agency.

Watch video 04:43 Share Under Pressure: German political foundations in Russia Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/186dQ Under Pressure: German political foundations in Russia

In September, the US Justice Department ordered the outlets to register as agents of foreign governments over the perceived spread of propaganda and alleged meddling in the 2016 US election.

Russia slammed the move as hypocrisy and an attack on media freedom.

Ramping up pressure for 'foreign agents'?

It was not immediately clear which steps would be taken towards foreign media outlets in Russia.

The bill is based on the 2012 law that forced NGOs to adopt a "foreign agent" label if they receive funding from abroad. Since then, they are requested to feature the label on their paperwork, statements and other material. They are also subject to surprise raids and intensive checks, and they must report where they get their money from and how they spend it. The increased government pressure prompted many of them to close their doors.

The bill signed by Putin on Saturday had been rushed through both houses of the Russian parliament in just two weeks.

The different faces of Vladimir Putin From KGB to Kremlin Putin joined the KGB, the former Soviet Union's security agency, in 1975. In the 1980s he undertook his first foreign posting as a KGB agent to Dresden, Germany. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Putin returned to Russia and entered Boris Yeltsin's Kremlin. When Yeltsin announced that he wanted Putin as his successor, the way was paved for him to become prime minister.

The different faces of Vladimir Putin First presidency On his appointment, Putin was virtually unknown to the general public. This changed when in August 1999 armed men from Chechnya invaded the neighboring Russian territory of Dagestan. President Yeltsin appointed ex-KGB officer Putin to bring Chechnya back under the central government's control. On New Year's Eve, Yeltsin unexpectedly resigned and named Putin as acting president.

The different faces of Vladimir Putin Tough guy in the media During an exhibition hockey game in Sochi, Putin’s team won 18-6, with the president scoring eight goals.

The different faces of Vladimir Putin Limited freedom of speech A protester wears a tape over his mouth reading "Putin" during an opposition rally. In 2013 the Kremlin announced that the state-owned news agency, RIA Novosti, was to be restructured and placed under the control of a pro-Kremlin figure known for his extreme anti-Western views. Reporters without Borders ranked Russia as 148 in its list of 178 countries in terms of press freedom.

The different faces of Vladimir Putin Putin's Image: A man of action Putin's image as a man of action, boosted by his having been a KGB spy, has long been part of his appeal in Russia. It is carefully maintained by means of photos where he is seen bare-chested on horseback, or tossing opponents onto a judo mat. In Russia, Putin has earned praise for restoring stability but has also been accused of authoritarianism.

The different faces of Vladimir Putin Stifling democracy When President Putin's United Russia party won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections in 2007, critics described the vote as neither free nor democratic. Dozens were detained as riot police broke up protests by demonstrators accusing President Putin of stifling democracy. In this rally the poster reads: "Thank you, no!"

The different faces of Vladimir Putin Orchestrated events In Sevastopol, Crimea, Putin looks through the window of a research bathyscaphe in the waters of the Black Sea. This dive in a mini-submarine was only one of his adventurous stunts; he has also been seen tranquilizing wild tigers and flying with endangered cranes. It was also aimed at cementing his image as an adventurer, and demonstrating his control of the annexed territory of Crimea. Author: Nadine Berghausen



dj/jlw (Reuters, Interfax)