Edit By: Fredrick Zoschviche - Moscow 

On Tuesday, the country’s parliament adopted new law that can tighten the works of the foreign agencies... in the second and third readings a new law upping administrative fines for violations of the laws governing organisations designated as ‘foreign agents’.

Lawmakers in Moscow have voted through tough new measures and steep fines against organizations that they say exist to do the work of foreign states in Russia, as well as those who amplify and share their messages in the media.

At present, groups registered with that status by Russia’s Ministry of Justice must declare it prominently alongside any information they publish, informing readers that they receive at least a portion of their funds from overseas.

The new amendments will mean that organizations or media outlets that republish their work without the ‘foreign agent’ label will face fines of up to 50,000 rubles (around $680). Individuals that fall foul of the rules can be docked as much as 2,500 rubles (nearly $35) for each offensive case.