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Russian Internet Watchdog Issues Another Warning to Liberal Outlet 'The New Times'

New Times editor Yevgenia Albats casts her ballot at a polling station during presidential elections in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, March 4, 2012. AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel

Yevgeniya Albats, editor-in-chief of liberal Russian publication The New Times, says has she received a warning from Russia's internet watchdog Roskomnadzor following an article about a former Russian soldier who went to fight alongside jihadi groups in Syria. Roskmonadzor said the material "showed signs of justifying terrorism." 

According to Russian law, two warnings from Roskomnadzor within one year are enough for the watchdog to request a court to revoke a media organization of its registration.

Roskomnadzor previously issued a warning to The New Times in December 2016 and Febuary 2016. The state watchdog said it does not exclude the possibility of asking a court to suspend the publication's media license.

Writing on her Facebook page, Albats called the warning "classic censorship, which is banned by our constitution."

"Putin publicly talks about how thousands of Russians are fighting for IS but writing about their motives and why a Russian guy from Kaluga converts to Islam and goes to Syria is a 'sign of justifying terrorism!'" Albats wrote. 

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