[Few of the Kremlin’s moves since Putin’s return to the presidency have engendered more homegrown protest than the NGO Law, which forces civil society groups that receive foreign funds or engage in nebulously defined “political” activity to register as “foreign agents.” Here, Aleksandr Rubtsov highlights the “theatre of the absurd”-qualities to the law’s implementation. –ed.] In […]
The new “Foreign Agents” law is affecting not only NGO’s, but also some of the country’s most respected economists. These economists have penned an open letter in Vedemosti detailing the damaging effects that the new law will have on economic research, and in turn economic activity in the country. The events of recent years, including […]
Alexei Kudrin, head of the Committee of Civic Initiatives (CCI), has said that the possibility that he will be appointed prime minister is “minimal,” emphasizing that he has some antagonisms with the political leadership of the country. The ex-Minister of Finance “for now” is engaged in “direct political activity.” Kudrin made this statement at an […]
The number of non-profit organizations declared “foreign agents” is growing rapidly. Should the NGOs submissively register as enemies of the government facing a “global conspiracy,” or should they stand their ground? This was the subject of the discussion at The New Times. Discussion participants: Furkat Tishaev (Senior Counsel, Memorial Human Rights Center); Ivan Ninenko (Transparency […]
Federal Security Service (FSB) agents arrested an alleged CIA agent who was accused of trying to recruit a Russian officer to work as a US agent. Ryan C. Fogle was the third secretary in the political section at the US Embassy in Moscow. As reported by Interfax agency, “Late at night on May 13, FSB […]
Yet another spy scandal is flaring up between the USA and Russia. On the night of May 14, counter-intelligence officers of Russia’s Federal Security Service detained a CIA agent named Ryan Christopher Fogle, who had allegedly attempted to recruit a Russian security service officer. According to the Russian counter-intelligence agency, the U.S. spy had been […]
On Saturday, Givi Targamadze returned to Georgia from Lithuania. This usually normal event turned out to be a sensation for the Russian state-controlled media, which featured headlines such as: “Disorders on Bolotnaya: Givi Targamadze Hides Out in Georgia.” But where should he be? He has a family and a job in Georgia. What is the […]
The independent pollster the Levada Center was recently designed a “foreign agent” under Russia’s new NGO Law. In this Kommersant article, a sociologist opposed to the designation debates a Duma Deputy who supports it. — Ed. According to Valery Fedorov, the Director of the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (WCIOM), sociologists should not be subject […]
The Prosecutor General’s Office has completed an inspection of the Yuri Levada Analytical Center, an independent non-profit organization and one of Russia’s most respected sociological services. According to the information obtained by Mr. Yuri Chaika’s agency, between December 26, 2012 and March 24, 2013, the Center received about 3.9 million rubles from abroad, a source in […]
“Motherland, You’ve Gone Nuts,” writes Maya Sonina, director of the Oxygen charitable fund in her blog And what else can you write? The Motherland really has gone nuts — or well, alright, if not the Motherland itself, at least its Istra City Prosecutor’s Office, which has issued the organization Help for Cystic Fibrosis Patients a […]
