During his presidency, D. A. Medvedev removed Art. 129, which determined the responsibility of citizens for libel. For only half a year the article was administrative. In July 2012, a group of deputies from the United Russia party proposed to return criminal liability for libel. In record time - literally in 10 days - the Duma considered the bill in 3 readings and adopted it, setting the maximum punishment for a fine of 5 million rubles or 480 hours of community service.
Most of the journalists reacted sharply to this initiative of the United Russia. They reasonably suggested that the bill was a reaction of the ruling party to numerous revelations of falsification of the results of the Duma and presidential elections. The Internet project "The Good Machine of Truth" threatens corrupt officials holding high government posts with new revelations. To deprive disgruntled citizens of the opportunity to fight against bureaucratic abuses, the parliamentary majority decided to return criminal liability for libel.
In Russia, there is a sad experience of using this article. For 2 years, from 2009 to 2011, about 800 people were convicted under it, mainly journalists and bloggers. The publication of exposing materials is perceived by officials as a personal insult. If the offended person occupies a sufficiently high social position and has the ability to put pressure on the court, the decision on the libel suit will most likely be made in his favor. In this case, the reliability of the materials that the journalist or blogger submitted in support of his words does not matter.
Journalists wrote a petition to the President of the Russian Federation V. V. and invited all those who disagree with the change in legislation to sign it. 2,500 signatures were collected on the Internet. In the petition, the authors gave examples of the use of Art. 129 to crack down on critics of high-ranking officials and accused the Union of Journalists of Russia that it does not protect the interests of pen workers.
While the bill was being discussed, the journalists held single pickets outside the walls of the State Duma. In their hands they held handwritten posters "No to libel law", "I am against libel law." Representatives of various media outlets showed complete solidarity with their protesting colleagues - these actions were widely covered in the press and on TV.
