This Monday, in a move to stifle freedom of expression, and to please conservative groups, Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law which reportedly makes denial of Nazi crimes and distortion of the Soviet Union's role in World War Two a criminal offence.

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After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Kremlin used World War Two and the wartime achievements of Soviet leaders in order to unify the nation. 

However, it has become increasingly risky for Russian citizens to focus on the wartime errors of Russia's leadership and Putin's new law enforces up to a five year jail sentence for offenders.

This law bans "wittingly spreading false information about the activity of the USSR during the years of World War Two", and also makes the desecration of war memorials a crime.

Putin has also focused on tightening control in other sectors of the media, namely through signing a separate law on Monday which would levy fines against those using expletives on television, radio, and in films shown in theatres.

The law extends to music and movies as well, requiring that those containing foul language carry a warning label on them.

Putin also signed a third law to impose stricter regulations on bloggers - a move which to many seems to be an attempt to control online criticism of himself and the Russian government.

Critics claim that all three laws will be a means of silencing opposition, especially in the form of journalists and historians who dispute glorification of the USSR in World War Two and also question the decisions and laws of Russia's modern-day government.

Opponents of Putin's heavy censorship laws also state that, since gaining power in 2000, Putin has used legislation, court cases and other levers in order to continuously tighten control - accusations which Putin himself has denied.