US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty fined by Russia

A Moscow court has fined U.S. government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 100,000 rubles ($1,600) for failing to comply with Russia's foreign agents law.

RFE/RL and Voice of America were named foreign agents last year under a law allowing that designation for news media that receive foreign funding. The outlets are the only two to have been singled out.

RFE/RL contends the designation is aimed at undermining trust in its reporting and obstructing its access. Its president, Thomas Kent, told The Associated Press after Thursday's ruling that "a number of Russian officials and parliamentary bodies have refused to give us interviews or allow us to attend their sessions because of the foreign agent designation."

The ruling found that RFE/RL had not filed documents required of a foreign agent.