Tag: NGO Law

Kremlin’s Anti-Western Mythology Dangerously Self-Destructive, Milov Says

March 25, 2014

Staunton, March 25 – The Kremlin’s anti-Western mythology is now so widespread that many in Moscow and some in the West accept it as a given and fail to understand how it reflects a specific political program and how dangerous and self-destructive it is for those who are putting it about, according to Vladimir Milov. […]

“Golos” Has Been Suspended

July 2, 2013

[Golos, Russia’s only independent election monitor, is the first NGO to succumb to the controversial new law forcing groups that receive foreign funds or engage in “political” activities to register as “foreign agents.” — Ed.] The Ministry of Justice has suspended activities of the “Golos” association for six months. The organization is surprised by this […]

Rebels, Rosneft and Snowden

June 24, 2013

Here’s a quick summary of the day’s biggest news: -The back and forth, tit-for-tat verbal recriminations continue between Russia and, well, the rest of the world. Russia continues to supply “legal” arms to the Assad regime, while accusing the rest of the world of undermining a potential “political solution” when they support the Syrian rebels. […]

All Russian NGOs Could Become “Foreign Agents”

June 20, 2013

[This article examines the amendments proposed by Russia’s Ministry of Justice which would expand the state’s ability to inspect and interfere in the activities of NGOs, regardless of their funding sources. These measures would extend the law passed in 2012 requiring NGOs receiving foreign funding to register as “foreign agents.”—Ed.] Many hoped that Russian authorities […]

Non-Commercial Herodias

June 6, 2013

[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 Khodorkovsky Test and the Future of Independent Thought in Russia

June 4, 2013

It is safe to say that publicly challenging Putin means that you may find yourself facing charges of money laundering, extortion, or the regime’s curiously esoteric understanding of hooliganism. The experiences of Pussy Riot, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, and Alexei Navalny have all shown the repercussions that dissent entails. Now, however, it seems that even disagreeing with […]

Registering as a Foreign Agent: Pros and Cons

May 20, 2013

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 […]

Levada Center as “Foreign Agent”: A Debate

May 13, 2013

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 […]