Kremlin moves against foreign-backed NGOs

Newly installed President of Russia Vladimir Putin has introduced a legislative proposal in June 2012 intended to expose 'foreign agents', defined as any group that received foreign finance and engaged in politics. This would include many NGOs and even possibly the Russian Orthodox Church. The law could be passed by parliament in July 2012.

Supporters of the NGO bill say it is an honest attempt to clean up the sector and make it more transparent.

Boris Nemtsov, leader of the opposition Solidarity party said: 'It’s the old trope of spy mania – the hunt for ‘internal enemies’, aimed at destroying the new wave of social protest'.

The new law is reminiscent of methods used by Soviet secret police, Thorbjorn Jagland, the head of the Council of Europe, said on the 12 july 2012.

http://www.hrw.org/ http://www.hrw.org/

HRW: News, 5.7.12: Russia: Reject Proposed Changes to Rules on Foreign-Funded NGOs http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/07/05/russia-reject-proposed-changes-rules-foreign-funded-ngos

RIA Novosti, 12.7.12: Council of Europe compares Russia NGO Bill to Stalin Terror http://en.rian.ru/russia/20120712/174570350.html

EU; Press Release: A319/12: Statement by the spokesperson of High Representative Catherine Ashton on the amendments to the Russian NGO law http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/131655.pdf

Huffington Post, 5.7.12: Russian lawmakers to vote on bill targeting NGOs http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20120706/eu-russia-ngos/

Blog: The Economist: Eastern Approaches, 15.04.13: Russia targets NGOs.Conspiracy theories http://www.economist.com/blogs/easternapproaches/2013/04/russia-targets-ngos

BBC News, 12.06.12: Russia: Controversial NGO bill becomes law http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18938165

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