The legal entity registered in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Stichting 2 Oktober (registration number No. 69126968), which is the administrator of the domain name of the Internet resource 'VTimes.io'

VTimes is a Russian business online media that existed from 2020 to 2021. It was founded by former deputy chief editors of the Vedomosti business publication: Alexander Gubsky, Boris Safronov, Philip Sterkin and Kirill Kharatyan. In addition to business topics, the project also planned to write about health, ecology, responsible consumption and human capital. Media manager Derk Sauer, who founded Vedomosti in 1999 with The Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times, became an advisor to the publication.

In September 2020, the publication launched crowdfunding for 'the production of podcasts, videos, the release of investigations and analytical materials'. On May 14, 2021, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation announced the inclusion of the Dutch non-profit organization Stichting 2 Oktober, which owns the VTimes.io domain name, in the list of media performing the functions of a 'foreign agent'. The project was closed on June 12, 2021.

Name

Field of activity

Media

Status

“Foreign agent” (media)

Reason for recognition

A Dutch foundation that administeted VTimes' domain was deemed a 'foreign agent' 'due to the documents that came from the authorized agencies'.

Year of recognition

2021

Status description

Since 2017, the register of “foreign agents” (media) includes those legal entities who, according to the Russian government: a) receive money or property from foreign sources, b) distribute printed, audio, audiovisual and other messages and materials intended for an unlimited range of persons. Distribution includes not only the publication of the original post but also the repost. Who recognizes: Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation in agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Responsibilities: Media foreign agents must indicate in all their materials their status as a “foreign agent” using special marking, conduct a mandatory audit and submit its results to the Ministry of Justice along with data on the organization’s personnel and a report on its activities. Every six months, media outlets included in this register are obliged to publicly post this report on the Internet or provide it to Russian media for publication. If the media does not have a Russian legal entity, then it must register it in Russia, after which this legal entity receives the status of an NPO-foreign agent. Administrative liability: Spreading in the media and on the Internet information about a media-foreign agent or publication of materials produced by him without indicating his status—a fine of up to 50 thousand rubles (part 2.4 of article 13.15 of the Code of Administrative Offences). Violation of the procedure for the activities of a media foreign agent after entering it in the register of foreign agents—a fine of up to 500 thousand rubles (article 19.34.1. of the Code of Administrative Offences). An increase in the amount of the fine for a repeated violation is envisaged. A gross violation is punishable by a fine of up to five million rubles. Criminal liability: If the foreign media agent does not fulfill the obligations required by the law and has previously been held administratively liable because of this, a fine of up to 300 thousand rubles or imprisonment for up to two years (part 2 of article 330.1 of the Criminal Code).

Media