Vladimir Putin forces through controversial new counter-terrorism laws

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law controversial counter-terrorism amendments that have sparked alarm among rights activists.

The amendments, rammed through Russia’s parliament on its last session before its summer break, include introducing prison sentences for failure to report a grave crime and doubling the number of crimes for which Russians as young as 14 can be prosecuted.

Another law forces telecommunications companies to store logs and data for months, a measure that endangers all of the companies’ profits.