MOSCOW, March 6 (RAPSI) – The State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, has passed in the second reading a bill on the blocking of websites containing defamatory information insulting society, state symbols and state bodies on Wednesday.

The third and final reading is planned for March 7.

Amendments are proposed to the Federal Law on Information, Information Technology and Information Protection and the Administrative Offences Code.

Under the bill, Russia’s Prosecutor General and his deputies would be entitled to apply to the communications agency Roskomnadzor with a request to block websites breaking legislation.

Moreover, the initiative envisages fines from 30,000 rubles (about $455) to 100,000 rubles ($1,500).

In case the offence is committed for the second time, it is to be punishable with fines from 100,000 rubles to 200,000 rubles ($1,500 – 3,000), or administrative detention for up to 15 days. Repeated violations are to be punished with fines ranging from 200,000 rubles to 300,000 rubles ($3,000 – 4,500), or administrative detention for the same term.