MOSCOW, June 27 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's parliament voted down on Friday a widely criticized bill that would have allowed authorities to close media outlets for libel.
The amendments to the current law were proposed by Robert Shlegel - a member of the dominant, pro-Kremlin United Russia faction - and were passed by the State Duma in the first reading on April 25.
Media representatives slammed the bill, and President Dmitry Medvedev also criticized it.