Undesirable organizations law Undesirable NGOs law | |
---|---|
| |
Citation | 129-FZ |
Enacted | 23 May 2015 |
Legislative history | |
Bill title | 662902-6 |
The Russian undesirable organizations law (officially Federal Law of 23.05.2015 N 129-FZ "On amendments of some legislative acts of the Russian Federation")[1] is a law that was signed by President Vladimir Putin on 23 May 2015 as a follow-up to the 2012 Russian foreign agent law and Dima Yakovlev Law. Under the law, Russian prosecutors are able to target foreign groups which they deem to present "a threat to the foundation of the constitutional order of the Russian Federation, the defense capability of the country or the security of the state."[2]
The law gives prosecutors the power to declare foreign and international organizations "undesirable" in Russia and shut them down. Organizations are subject to heavy fines, while individuals affiliated with them can receive lengthy prison sentences if they fail to dissolve when given notice to do so. These punishments also apply to Russians who maintain ties to them. Critics say that the law is unclear in many areas and can be used to silence dissent. Supporters of the bill claim that this law is vital for the preservation of national security.
The proponents revealed that an initial idea of the law was to expand the action of the "foreign agent law" onto foreign noncommercial organizations as well, but after the introduction of economic sanctions against Russia they decided to incorporate economic aspects in the new law as well.[3]
On July 23, 2024 State Duma adopted a law according to which any organizations can be recognized as undesirable in Russia if their founders or participants are foreign government agencies, in addition to foreign NGO.[4]
These organisations are forbidden from holding public events and from possessing or distributing promotional materials, including via mass media. All Russian banks and financial institutions are forbidden from cooperating with them and are required to inform Russia's financial watchdog agency about all those that attempt to use them.[citation needed]
When given notice from the prosecutors, these NGOs have to disband. Violators face fines or prison terms of up to six years. People cooperating with such entities are subject to fines and can be banned from entering Russia.[5] Russians who maintain ties with "undesirables" face penalties ranging from fines to a maximum of six years in prison.[6]
On 25 May 2015, the first proposed list of undesirable NGOs was sent to the Prosecutor-General's office was made by an MP from LDPR. The list included the think tank Carnegie Moscow Center, the international history and human rights society Memorial, as well as the Moscow offices of Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.[7]
On 7 July 2015, RIA Novosti published an alleged shortlist by the Federal Council of Russia of organizations to be branded undesirable. Those include the US-based Open Society Institute, the National Endowment for Democracy, the MacArthur Foundation and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. The list also includes the Polish-based Education for Democracy foundation and the East European Democratic Centre as well as three Ukrainian organizations: The Ukrainian World Congress, the Ukrainian World Coordinating Council and the Crimean Field Mission on Human Rights.[8][9]
After the Federal Council's vote to include the MacArthur Foundation on the recommended list of "undesirable organizations", it announced the closing of its Russian division, operating since 1992.[10]
In July 2015, the National Endowment for Democracy became the first organization to be officially blacklisted by the Russian authorities under the law. The decision by the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation was announced on its website where it was claimed that NED's activities "pose a threat to constitutional order of the Russian Federation, defense potential and security of the state". Among NED's alleged violations were its donations to commercial and non-profit organizations that independently monitor elections, as well as for undefined "political activities" and "discrediting service in the [Russian] armed forces".[11][12]
In November 2015, two branches of George Soros' charity network, the Open Society Foundations and the Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation, were banned under this law in Russia. The infractions were not listed, but the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation released a statement stating that "the activity of the Open Society Foundations and the Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation represents a threat to the foundations of the constitutional system of the Russian Federation and the security of the state".[13][14]
Ahead of the March 2018 presidential election, two European organizations involved in election monitoring were added.[15]
As of 15 November 2024[update], the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation declared 193 overseas and international non-governmental organizations "undesirable" in Russia (including the occupied territories of Ukraine): most of the affected organizations are based in Germany, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States.[16]
№ | Organization affected | Country | Ministry of Justice’s order date |
Prosecutor- General’s decision date |
Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | National Endowment for Democracy | United States | 29 Jul 2015 | 28 Jul 2015 | [17] |
2 | Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation | United States | 01 Dec 2015 | 26 Nov 2015 | [18] |
3 | Open Society Foundations | United States | 01 Dec 2015 | 26 Nov 2015 | [18] |
4 | U.S. Russia Foundation | United States | 07 Dec 2015 | 03 Dec 2015 | [19] |
5 | National Democratic Institute | United States | 17 Mar 2016 | 10 Mar 2016 | [20] |
6 | Media Development Investment Fund | United States | 22 Aug 2016 | 18 Aug 2016 | [21] |
7 | International Republican Institute | United States | 22 Aug 2016 | 18 Aug 2016 | [21] |
8 | Open Russia Civic Movement | United Kingdom | 27 Apr 2017 | 26 Apr 2017 | [22] |
9 | Open Russia | United Kingdom | 27 Apr 2017 | 26 Apr 2017 | [22] |
10 | Institute of Modern Russia | United States | 27 Apr 2017 | 26 Apr 2017 | [23] |
11 | Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation | Romania | 03 Jul 2017 | 30 Jun 2017 | [24] |
12 | European Platform for Democratic Elections | Germany | 13 Mar 2018 | 12 Mar 2018 | [25] |
13 | International Elections Study Center | Lithuania | 13 Mar 2018 | 12 Mar 2018 | [26] |
14 | German Marshall Fund | United States | 21 Mar 2018 | 20 Mar 2018 | [27] |
15 | Pacific Environment | United States | 28 Aug 2018 | 24 Aug 2018 | [28] |
16 | Free Russia Foundation | United States | 28 Jun 2019 | 27 Jun 2019 | [29] |
17 | Ukrainian World Congress | Canada | 17 Jul 2019 | 11 Jul 2019 | [30] |
18 | Atlantic Council | United States | 29 Jul 2019 | 25 Jul 2019 | [31] |
19 | People in Need | Czech Republic | 12 Nov 2019 | 07 Nov 2019 | [32] |
20 | European Endowment for Democracy | Belgium | 12 Mar 2020 | 06 Mar 2020 | [33] |
21 | Jamestown Foundation | United States | 09 Apr 2020 | 08 Apr 2020 | [34] |
22 | Project Harmony International | United States | 23 Apr 2020 | 22 Apr 2020 | [35] |
23 | Dragon Springs Buddhist (The Mountain) | United States | 21 Jul 2020 | 17 Jul 2020 | [36] |
24 | Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting | United States | 21 Jul 2020 | 17 Jul 2020 | [36] |
25 | European Falun Dafa Association | United Kingdom | 21 Jul 2020 | 17 Jul 2020 | [36] |
26 | Friends of Falun Gong | United States | 21 Jul 2020 | 17 Jul 2020 | [36] |
27 | Global Mission to Rescue Persecuted Falun Gong Practitioners | United States | 21 Jul 2020 | 17 Jul 2020 | [36] |
28 | Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong | United States | 21 Jul 2020 | 17 Jul 2020 | [36] |
29 | World Organisation to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong | United States | 21 Jul 2020 | 17 Jul 2020 | [36] |
30 | Prague Civil Society Centre | Czech Republic | 25 Dec 2020 | 17 Dec 2020 | [37] |
31 | Association of Schools of Political Studies of the Council of Europe | France | 25 Dec 2020 | 22 Dec 2020 | [38] |
32 | Center for Liberal Modernity | Germany | 02 Jun 2021 | 26 May 2021 | [39] |
33 | Forum of Russian-speaking Europeans | Germany | 02 Jun 2021 | 26 May 2021 | [39] |
34 | Austausch | Germany | 02 Jun 2021 | 26 May 2021 | [39] |
35 | Bard College | United States | 30 Jun 2021 | 21 Jun 2021 | [40] |
36 | European Choice | France | 09 Jul 2021 | 30 Jun 2021 | [41] |
37 | Khodorkovsky Foundation | United Kingdom | 09 Jul 2021 | 30 Jun 2021 | [41] |
38 | Oxford Russia Fund | United Kingdom | 09 Jul 2021 | 30 Jun 2021 | [41] |
39 | Future of Russia Foundation | United Kingdom | 09 Jul 2021 | 30 Jun 2021 | [41] |
40 | Freedom of Information Society (Team 29) | Czech Republic | 09 Jul 2021 | 29 Jun 2021 | [42] |
41 | Proekt | United States | 23 Jul 2021 | 15 Jul 2021 | [43] |
42 | International Partnership for Human Rights | Belgium | 17 Aug 2021 | 12 Aug 2021 | [44] |
43 | New Generation Spiritual Directorate of the Evangelical Christian | Ukraine | 30 Aug 2021 | 23 Aug 2021 | [45] |
44 | New Generation Evangelical Christian Church | Latvia | 30 Aug 2021 | 23 Aug 2021 | [45] |
45 | New Generation International Biblical College | Ukraine | 30 Aug 2021 | 23 Aug 2021 | [45] |
46 | New Generation International Christian Movement | Latvia | 30 Aug 2021 | 23 Aug 2021 | [45] |
47 | World Institute of Scientology Enterprises | United States | 01 Oct 2021 | 24 Sep 2021 | [46] |
48 | Church of Spiritual Technology | United States | 01 Oct 2021 | 24 Sep 2021 | [46] |
49 | European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations | Montenegro | 01 Oct 2021 | 27 Sep 2021 | [47] |
50 | WOT Foundation | Poland | 04 Feb 2022 | 25 Jan 2022 | [48] |
51 | Free Idel-Ural | Ukraine | 28 Feb 2022 | 16 Feb 2022 | [48] |
52 | Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project | United States | 05 Mar 2022 | 22 Feb 2022 | [48] |
53 | iStories (Important Stories) | Latvia | 05 Mar 2022 | 22 Feb 2022 | [48] |
54 | Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs) | United Kingdom | 13 Apr 2022 | 07 Apr 2022 | [48] |
55 | Crimean Human Rights Group | Ukraine | 13 May 2022 | 04 May 2022 | [48] |
56 | Heinrich Böll Foundation | Germany | 31 May 2022 | 20 May 2022 | [48] |
57 | Stichting Bellingcat | Netherlands | 26 Jul 2022 | 13 Jul 2022 | [48] |
58 | Bellingcat | United Kingdom | 26 Jul 2022 | 13 Jul 2022 | [48] |
59 | The Insider | Latvia | 26 Jul 2022 | 13 Jul 2022 | [48] |
60 | CEELI Institute | Czech Republic | 26 Jul 2022 | 13 Jul 2022 | [48] |
61 | Open Estonia Foundation | Estonia | 29 Jul 2022 | 19 Jul 2022 | [48] |
62 | Calvert 22 Foundation | United Kingdom | 12 Aug 2022 | 29 Jul 2022 | [48] |
63 | Ukrainian Canadian Congress | Canada | 19 Aug 2022 | 04 Aug 2022 | [49] |
64 | Macdonald–Laurier Institute | Canada | 19 Aug 2022 | 04 Aug 2022 | [49] |
65 | Ukrainian National Federation of Canada | Canada | 19 Aug 2022 | 04 Aug 2022 | [49] |
66 | Decembrists (German: Dekabristen) | Germany | 25 Oct 2022 | 12 Oct 2022 | [50] |
67 | Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (Wilson Center) | United States | 25 Nov 2022 | 10 Nov 2022 | [51] |
68 | Open Press | France | 25 Nov 2022 | 11 Nov 2022 | [51] |
69 | Renaissance Volodymyr Muntyan Charitable Foundation | Ukraine | 25 Nov 2022 | 16 Nov 2022 | [52] |
70 | Spiritual Center "Renaissance" | Ukraine | 25 Nov 2022 | 16 Nov 2022 | [52] |
71 | Riddle | Lithuania | 13 Dec 2022 | 25 Nov 2022 | [53] |
72 | Anti-war Committee in Sweden «Russians Against War» | Sweden | 10 Jan 2023 | 20 Dec 2022 | [54] |
73 | Meduza | Latvia | 07 Feb 2023 | 25 Jan 2023 | [55] |
74 | Andrei Sakharov Foundation | United States | 07 Feb 2023 | 23 Jan 2023 | [56] |
75 | Free Russia Forum | Lithuania | 13 Feb 2023 | 30 Jan 2023 | [57] |
76 | Free Nations League | Lithuania | 10 Mar 2023 | 17 Feb 2023 | [58] |
77 | Transparency International | Germany | 21 Mar 2023 | 03 Mar 2023 | [59] |
78 | Free Nations of Post-Russia Forum | Poland | 31 Mar 2023 | 15 Mar 2023 | [60] |
79 | Solidarus | Germany | 05 Apr 2023 | 15 Mar 2023 | [61] |
80 | CrimeaSOS | Ukraine | 05 Apr 2023 | 21 Mar 2023 | [62] |
81 | Free University (Russia) (Latvian: Brīvā Universitāte) | Latvia | 18 Apr 2023 | 30 Mar 2023 | [63] |
82 | Institute for Statecraft | United Kingdom | 25 Apr 2023 | 20 Mar 2023 | [64] |
83 | EU—Russia Civil Society Forum | Germany | 25 Apr 2023 | 10 Apr 2023 | [65] |
84 | Bellona Foundation | Norway | 02 May 2023 | 17 Apr 2023 | [66] |
85 | League of Residents of Chishima and Habomai Islands | Japan | 11 May 2023 | 20 Apr 2023 | [67] |
86 | Congress of People’s Deputies | Poland | 18 May 2023 | 27 Apr 2023 | [68] |
87 | Greenpeace International | Netherlands | 29 May 2023 | 18 May 2023 | [69] |
88 | Anti-Corruption Foundation International | United States | 01 Jun 2023 | 22 May 2023 | [70] |
89 | Transformation Center Church International, Transformation Center Covenant Network | United States | 27 Jun 2023 | 07 Jun 2023 | [71] |
90 | Agora (Interregional Association of Human Rights Organizations) | Bulgaria | 28 Jun 2023 | 14 Jun 2023 | [72] |
91 | World Wide Fund for Nature | Switzerland | 05 Jul 2023 | 20 Jun 2023 | [73] |
92 | Novaya Gazeta Europe | Latvia | 14 Jul 2023 | 26 Jun 2023 | [74] |
93 | Altai Project | United States | 17 Jul 2023 | 03 Jul 2023 | [75] |
94 | Educational Human Rights House Chernihiv | Ukraine | 24 Jul 2023 | 05 Jul 2023 | [76] |
95 | Human Rights House Foundation | Norway | 24 Jul 2023 | 05 Jul 2023 | [76] |
96 | Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House | Lithuania | 24 Jul 2023 | 05 Jul 2023 | [76] |
97 | Human Rights House Tbilisi | Georgia | 24 Jul 2023 | 05 Jul 2023 | [76] |
98 | Human Rights House Yerevan | Armenia | 24 Jul 2023 | 05 Jul 2023 | [76] |
99 | Human Rights House Crimea | Ukraine | 24 Jul 2023 | 05 Jul 2023 | [76] |
100 | Wild Salmon Center | United States | 02 Aug 2023 | 17 Jul 2023 | [77] |
101 | TVR Studios (TV Rain) | Netherlands | 04 Aug 2023 | 21 Jul 2023 | [78] |
102 | TV Rain | Latvia | 04 Aug 2023 | 21 Jul 2023 | [78] |
103 | Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies (Martens Centre) | Belgium | 15 Aug 2023 | 28 Jul 2023 | [79] |
104 | Conflict Intelligence Team | Ukraine | 18 Aug 2023 | 04 Aug 2023 | [80] |
105 | AllatRa | Ukraine | 18 Aug 2023 | 02 Aug 2023 | [81] |
106 | For a Free Russia (Polish: Za Wolną Rosję) | Poland | 23 Aug 2023 | 11 Aug 2023 | [82] |
107 | Free Buryatia Foundation | United States | 12 Sep 2023 | 30 Aug 2023 | [83] |
108 | URALIC Centre for Indigenous Peoples | Estonia | 14 Sep 2023 | 30 Aug 2023 | [84] |
109 | UnKremlin | Germany | 18 Sep 2023 | 01 Sep 2023 | [85] |
110 | International Transport Workers' Federation | United Kingdom | 18 Sep 2023 | 01 Sep 2023 | [86] |
111 | EastCham Finland | Finland | 26 Sep 2023 | 12 Sep 2023 | [87] |
112 | Hudson Institute | United States | 26 Sep 2023 | 13 Sep 2023 | [88] |
113 | Foundation for Democratic Development | United States | 11 Oct 2023 | 18 Sep 2023 | [89] |
114 | Committee-2024 | Poland | 17 Oct 2023 | 26 Sep 2023 | [85] |
115 | Central European University | Austria | 01 Nov 2023 | 18 Sep 2023 | [90] |
116 | Centre for East European and International Studies | Germany | 01 Nov 2023 | 12 Sep 2023 | [91] |
117 | Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Jehovah’s Witnesses | Germany | 08 Nov 2023 | 12 Oct 2023 | [92] |
118 | Religious Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Ukraine | Ukraine | 08 Nov 2023 | 12 Oct 2023 | [92] |
119 | Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania | United States | 08 Nov 2023 | 12 Oct 2023 | [92] |
120 | Civic Council | Poland | 21 Nov 2023 | 03 Nov 2023 | [93] |
121 | Center for European Policy Analysis | United States | 27 Nov 2023 | 23 Oct 2023 | [94] |
122 | Eastern European Academic Network | Germany | 04 Dec 2023 | 14 Nov 2023 | [95] |
123 | Russian Action Committee | Lithuania | 04 Dec 2023 | 14 Nov 2023 | [95] |
124 | RAND Corporation | United States | 06 Dec 2023 | 21 Nov 2023 | [96] |
125 | Russian America for Democracy in Russia | United States | 25 Dec 2023 | 24 Nov 2023 | [97] |
126 | True Russia | United Kingdom | 25 Dec 2023 | 07 Dec 2023 | [97] |
127 | Global Investigative Journalism Network | United States | 25 Dec 2023 | 05 Dec 2023 | [97] |
128 | Helpdesk Media Foundation | Latvia | 26 Dec 2023 | 11 Dec 2023 | [97] |
129 | Freies Russland Berlin | Germany | 26 Jan 2024 | 26 Dec 2023 | [98] |
130 | Freies Russland NRW | Germany | 26 Jan 2024 | 26 Dec 2023 | [98] |
131 | GlobalGiving Foundation | United States | 26 Jan 2024 | 11 Jan 2024 | [98] |
132 | Anti-War Committee of Russia | — | 31 Jan 2024 | 11 Jan 2024 | [99] |
133 | Russie-Libertés | France | 31 Jan 2024 | 11 Jan 2024 | [99] |
134 | Asociación de Rusos Libres | Spain | 31 Jan 2024 | 11 Jan 2024 | [99] |
135 | Alliance for the Return of the Northern Territories | Japan | 05 Feb 2024 | 23 Jan 2024 | [100] |
136 | Crimean Tatar Resource Center | Ukraine | 05 Feb 2024 | 16 Jan 2024 | [100] |
137 | IndustriALL Global Union | Switzerland | 05 Feb 2024 | 17 Jan 2024 | [100] |
138 | Russian Election Monitor | Germany | 07 Feb 2024 | 19 Jan 2024 | [101] |
139 | Article 19 | United Kingdom | 08 Feb 2024 | 23 Jan 2024 | [101] |
140 | Mnenie Media (DOXA) | Czech Republic | 08 Feb 2024 | 15 Jan 2024 | [101] |
141 | Anarchist Black Cross Federation | United States | 16 Feb 2024 | 25 Jan 2024 | [102] |
142 | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty | United States | 20 Feb 2024 | 02 Feb 2024 | [103] |
143 | German Society for Eastern European Studies | Germany | 01 Mar 2024 | 14 Feb 2024 | [104] |
144 | Friedrich Ebert Foundation | Germany | 01 Mar 2024 | 14 Feb 2024 | [104] |
145 | XZ Foundation | Germany | 01 Mar 2024 | 14 Feb 2024 | [104] |
146 | OWEN — Mobile Academy for Gender Democracy and Peacebuilding | Germany | 01 Mar 2024 | 14 Feb 2024 | [104] |
147 | Lew Kopelew Forum | Germany | 13 Mar 2024 | 19 Feb 2024 | [105] |
148 | American Councils for International Education | United States | 18 Mar 2024 | 26 Feb 2024 | [106] |
149 | Cultural Vistas | United States | 18 Mar 2024 | 26 Feb 2024 | [106] |
150 | Institute of International Education | United States | 18 Mar 2024 | 26 Feb 2024 | [106] |
151 | Russians Against War Antalya | Turkey | 18 Mar 2024 | 26 Feb 2024 | [106] |
152 | Open Dialogue Foundation | Poland | 25 Mar 2024 | 14 Feb 2024 | [107] |
153 | Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy | Canada | 02 Apr 2024 | 13 Mar 2024 | [108] |
154 | Russian Canadian Democratic Alliance | Canada | 02 Apr 2024 | 13 Mar 2024 | [108] |
155 | Norman Paterson School of International Affairs | Canada | 02 Apr 2024 | 13 Mar 2024 | [108] |
156 | Center for Civil Liberties | Ukraine | 16 Apr 2024 | 13 Mar 2024 | [109] |
157 | Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom | Germany | 16 Apr 2024 | 13 Mar 2024 | [109] |
158 | Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom | Germany | 16 Apr 2024 | 13 Mar 2024 | [109] |
159 | Feminist Anti-War Resistance | — | 25 Apr 2024 | 09 Apr 2024 | [110] |
160 | Ingush Independence Committee | Turkey | 02 May 2024 | 11 Apr 2024 | [111] |
161 | Prometheus Security Environment Research Center | Ukraine | 15 May 2024 | 24 Apr 2024 | [112] |
162 | KKL-Stop the Occupation of Karelia | Estonia | 17 May 2024 | 25 Apr 2024 | [113] |
163 | Come Back Alive | Ukraine | 17 May 2024 | 24 Apr 2024 | [113] |
164 | Freedom House | United States | 21 May 2024 | 06 Apr 2024 | [113] |
165 | SOTA media (Sotaproject) | Lithuania | 24 May 2024 | 07 May 2024 | [112] |
166 | Liberal Democratic League of Ukraine | Ukraine | 03 Jun 2024 | 13 May 2024 | [114] |
167 | German Historical Institute Moscow | Germany | 14 Jun 2024 | 30 May 2024 | [115] |
168 | Great Commission Media Ministries | Canada | 21 Jun 2024 | 03 Jun 2024 | [116] |
169 | International Russian Radio & Television | Finland | 21 Jun 2024 | 03 Jun 2024 | [116] |
170 | Great Commission Media Ministries | United States | 21 Jun 2024 | 03 Jun 2024 | [116] |
171 | Dekoder | Germany | 01 Jul 2024 | 30 May 2024 | [117] |
172 | Center for Strategic and International Studies | United States | 01 Jul 2024 | 11 Jun 2024 | [117] |
173 | Democratic Community of Russian-Speakers in Finland | Finland | 08 Jul 2024 | 20 Jun 2024 | [118] |
174 | Vuoksi Ry | Finland | 08 Jul 2024 | 20 Jun 2024 | [118] |
175 | MitOst | Germany | 10 Jul 2024 | 20 Jun 2024 | [119] |
176 | The John Smith Trust | United Kingdom | 10 Jul 2024 | 26 Jun 2024 | [119] |
177 | The Moscow Times | Netherlands | 17 Jul 2024 | 03 Jul 2024 | [120] |
178 | Carnegie Endowment for International Peace | United States | 18 Jul 2024 | 01 Jul 2024 | [120] |
179 | Assembly of the Peoples of the Caucasus | France | 02 Aug 2024 | 16 Jul 2024 | [121] |
180 | EF Education First | Switzerland | 05 Aug 2024 | 16 Jul 2024 | [121] |
181 | OSTMOST Foundation | Poland | 05 Aug 2024 | 16 Jul 2024 | [121] |
182 | Konrad Adenauer Foundation | Germany | 14 Aug 2024 | 31 Jul 2024 | [122] |
183 | Kulturus | Czech Republic | 14 Aug 2024 | 30 Jul 2024 | [123] |
184 | MRR-Fund (My Russian Rights) | Germany | 14 Aug 2024 | 30 Jul 2024 | [123] |
185 | Russland hinter Gittern | Germany | 14 Aug 2024 | 30 Jul 2024 | [123] |
186 | For your and our freedom (Czech: Za vaši a naši svobodu) | Czech Republic | 14 Aug 2024 | 30 Jul 2024 | [123] |
187 | Deputies of Peaceful Russia | Germany | 27 Aug 2024 | 13 Aug 2024 | [124] |
188 | Clooney Foundation for Justice | United States | 27 Aug 2024 | 14 Aug 2024 | [124] |
189 | Belsat | Poland | 01 Oct 2024 | 11 Sep 2024 | [125] |
190 | Fund 24.02 | Ukraine | 04 Oct 2024 | 18 Sep 2024 | [126] |
191 | Media in Cooperation and Transition | Germany | 30 Oct 2024 | 07 Oct 2024 | [127] |
192 | Internationale Assoziation für Intellektuelle Spiele | Liechtenstein | 14 Nov 2024 | 30 Oct 2024 | [128] |
193 | Young Presidents Organization | United States | 14 Nov 2024 | 30 Oct 2024 | [127] |
Russia's human rights ombudsperson Ella Pamfilova said the power given to the Prosecutor General to designate groups "undesirable" without going to court contradicts the Russian constitution and condemned the lack of a right to appeal.[129][130]
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesperson said that the law was an attempt to further isolate and discredit members of civil society who were critical of the government.[131]
Britain's Minister for Europe, David Lidington, said it was "yet another example of the Russian authorities' harassment of NGOs and those who work with them in Russia".[132]
The US State Department stated it was "deeply troubled" by the law and expressed concern that it "will further restrict the work of civil society in Russia and is a further example of the Russian government's growing crackdown on independent voices and intentional steps to isolate the Russian people from the world".[133] The Deputy Chief of the US Mission to the OSCE Permanent Council urged the Russian government "to uphold its international obligations and OSCE commitments to respect the freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly and association, and the rule of law."[134]
Amnesty International said the bill would "squeeze the life" from civil society, while Human Rights Watch warned it would be locals who would be worst-hit.[135] Veteran human rights activist Lyudmila Alexeyeva described the law as "another step toward lowering the curtain between our country and the West."[5]
On 13 June 2016, the opinion of the Venice Commission on Russian undesirable organizations law[136] was published. According to the Venice Commission conclusion, Russian undesirable organizations law consists of vague definition of certain key concepts, such as "non-governmental organisations", which determines whether the activities of a foreign or international NGO may be declared undesirable, "directing of" and "participating in" the activities of a listed NGO, coupled with the wide discretion granted to the Office of the Public Prosecutor and the lack of specific judicial guarantees in the Federal Law, contradicts the principle of legality. The automatic legal consequences (blanket prohibitions) imposed upon NGOs whose activities are declared undesirable (prohibition to organise and conduct mass actions and public events or to distribute information materials) may only be acceptable in extreme cases of NGOs constituting serious threat to the security of the state or to fundamental democratic principles. In other instances, the blanket application of these sanctions might contradict the requirement under the European Convention on Human Rights that the interference with the freedom of association and assembly has to respond to a pressing social need and has to be proportional to the legitimate aim pursued. Furthermore, the inclusion of an NGO in the List should be made on the basis of clear and detailed criteria following a judicial decision or, at least, the decision should be subject to an appropriate judicial appeal.
…the following nongovernmental organizations: the New Generation International Christian Movement (Latvia), the New Generation Evangelical Christian Church (Latvia), the New Generation Spiritual Directorate of the Evangelist Christians (Ukraine), and the New Generation International Biblical College spiritual educational facility (Ukraine)…