Social organizations as "foreign agents" in Russia

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As a "foreign agent" (Russian Иностранный агент, Иноагент), since 2012 social organizations and since 2020 private individuals who are politically active and are supposed to receive financial resources from abroad can be registered in Russia .

This list of Russian organizations and private individuals from non-governmental civil society should not be confused with the undesirable international organizations actually managed outside of Russia , which have been banned in Russia since 2015.

law

The Federal Law 121-FZ of July 13, 2012 offers the possibility that organizations can be classified as foreign agents, which organize "political action or finance, which are aimed at the adoption of decisions of state bodies or the alteration of the of to influence these implemented state policies or to influence the formation of public opinion ”.

Political parties, which are not allowed to accept any money from abroad, as well as religious organizations and public institutions are not affected. The law stipulates that organizations that are active in science, culture, art, medicine, health care, social activity, child and maternity protection, sport, animal welfare, plant protection, charity or the organization of volunteer work are not affected.

The registration can be deleted again after a review process with inspection of the financial documents.

By order No. 10-P of April 8, 2014, the Russian Constitutional Court declared the July 2012 law to be constitutional.

story

The law was proposed by MPs from the majority United Russia party in July 2012 and signed by President Putin on July 20, 2012 . It came into force on November 21, 2012.

No registrations were initially made until President Putin called on February 14, 2013 to take action against organizations that are politically active against Russia. As a result, the offices of over 300 human rights and environmental organizations such as Memorial , Amnesty International Russia and Human Rights Watch Russia were searched and asked to register as foreign agents. Almost all organizations refused to do so.

On June 4, 2014, the law was tightened, in which registration can now take place without the consent of the organization and without a judicial decision by the Russian Ministry of Justice. It was not until February 2015 that the option of being removed from the register was created.

Since then, 148 organizations have been registered by the end of 2016. The organizations were also asked to register voluntarily. If they refused, they were fined from 200,000 to 900,000 rubles.

After some organizations pointed out that they had not received any funds from abroad, the Ministry of Justice replied that individual donors to these organizations had received foreign funds in return.

Numerous organizations have declared their dissolution, some have reestablished themselves under a different name. Some organizations managed to get the registration unregistered.

After the branch of the Russian state broadcaster RT was forced to register as a foreign agent in the USA, the Duma decided in November 2017 to amend the law that also allows media operating in Russia to be classified as foreign agents. On December 5, 2017, the Justice Department published a list of nine American media outlets that were affected. These are Voice of America , Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and seven other media affiliated with them.

From December 2020, the extension to private individuals came into force. The first entries on December 28, 2020 concerned Lev Ponomarev , three journalists and an artist. The registration of persons of civil society life, instead of organizations, skyrocketed from the second day of private person registration, July 15, 2021. By November 19, 2021, 58 other private individuals had already been registered as alleged "foreign agents".

On November 25, 2021, the trial began in Moscow to ban the most prominent organization (registered on the list since 2016), the human rights organization and organization to come to terms with Stalinist crimes, Memorial , which was founded in 1988 and whose charges the co-founder Irina Scherbakova as "absurd, ridiculous and purely politically motivated ”. Some observers see the process as a sign that the registration as "foreign agent" is only a preliminary stage to the complete elimination of non-governmental, critical segments of civil society.

importance

For the organizations concerned, registration is a significant restriction on their activities. If you forego all foreign funding in order to be able to unregister, most projects will no longer be feasible. The domestic Russian support is usually insufficient for this. If they continue their activity despite being registered, they are stigmatized by Russian authorities and a significant part of the population and receive little support.

In the case of media financed by advertising, the declaration as a so-called "foreign agent" means that advertising revenue is lost, since practically no Russian company advertises with organizations of "foreign agents", as this is reputational in Russia.

In Russia, journalists from foreign agents who are reporters at demonstrations can obtain criminal proceedings in Russia.

Some organizations were able to abandon the status or disbanded.

Registered Organizations

As of November 2021, 95 legal entities (individuals and organizations) are registered as foreign agents with the Ministry of Justice.

2021

In 2021, up to and including December 2021, at least 21 media outlets were classified as foreign agents. Including:

organization Russian location activities Registered since Web links
Meduza Медуза Latvia Russian-language internet newspaper April 30, 2021
Bellingcat investigative research network
Doschd Russian television broadcaster
Nadeschda Andrejewna Tolokonnikowa political activist and performance artist. December 2021
Marat Alexandrovich Gelman Gallery owner December 2021
Viktor Anatoljewitsch Schenderowitsch Satirist, journalist and screenwriter December 2021

2019

The organization "For Human Rights" was fined in April 2019 for receiving a grant from the UN Committee against Torture. The organization was added to the list in 2014, but was removed from the list in 2015. "For Human Rights" was dissolved by the authorities in 2020; Ponomarev pointed out that one reason was that he had received money from the UN, an organization of which Russia is a member.

2018

A diabetic association reported by a district public prosecutor's office in the Saratov region in 2017 after a denunciation by a student was warned and registered. Doubting the quality of domestic insulin is a "political activity" and undermines the authority of the state.

2017

In December 2017, the Association of Truck Drivers, OPR, was added to the list. In the course of their demonstrations in 2017, she had received a donation from a private person in Germany, which she, in retrospect, interpreted as a trap. Since 2015, truck drivers from rural areas have been protesting against the Platon heavy vehicle tax , which is handled by companies owned by people from Putin's circle of friends.

2016

All valid registrations from January 1st to October 4th, 2016

organization Russian location activities Registered since Web links
Memorial International Мемориал Moscow Human rights organization 4th October 2016
Legal mission Правовая миссия Chelyabinsk Legal advice September 21, 2016
School for conscripts Школа призывника Chelyabinsk Legal advice September 21, 2016
Ecological watch in the North Caucasus Экологическая вахта по Северному Кавказу Maikop Conservation organization 13th September 2016
Lewada center Аналитический центр Юрия Левады Moscow Polling institute 5th September 2016
Publishing house Gagarinpark Издвтельство "Парк Гагарина" Samara Internet newspaper August 31, 2016
American Alumni Club Клуб выпускников американских программ Samara Graduate organization August 26, 2016
Panazeja Панацея Kuznetsk Youth organization 15th August 2016
Institute for Economic Analysis Институт экономического анализа Moscow July 22, 2016
Free word Свободное слово Pskov Newspaper publisher July 13, 2016
Arktika Арктика Biysk (Altai Region) Sports youth organization July 6, 2016
Rylkow Foundation Фонд Андрея Рылькова Moscow Caring for drug addicts June 29, 2016
Eswero Эсверо Moscow Umbrella organization of AIDS organizations June 22, 2016
Migration and Law Миграция и право Moscow Support for migrant workers June 16, 2016
Society Социум Angel AIDS organization May 30, 2016
Hanseatic Office of the State of Schleswig-Holstein Ганзейское бюро земли Шлезвиг-Гольштейн Kaliningrad Information office May 24, 2016
School of Ecology of the Soul "Tengri" Школа экологии Души «Тенгри» Ongudai Preservation of the traditional culture of the Altai peoples 17th May 2016
Publishing house Valentin Manuilow Издательский дом «Валентин Мануйлов» Pensa Newspaper publisher April 15, 2016
Center for the Rights of Social Workers Центр социально-трудовых прав Moscow March 21, 2016
Batani Батани Moscow Association of Indigenous Peoples Foundation March 11, 2016
Center for Citizen Education and Human Rights Центр гражданского образования и прав человека Perm Civil rights organization March 3, 2016
Sfera Сфера St. Petersburg Voluntary service March 1, 2016
Women of Eurasia Женщины Эвразии Chelyabinsk Social aid organization February 15, 2016
Human rights group in the Urals Уральская правозащитная группа Chelyabinsk Civil rights organization February 15, 2016
Democratic Foundation in the Urals Уральский демократический фонд Chelyabinsk Foundation of the human rights group in the Urals February 15, 2016
Sibalt Сибальт Omsk AIDS organization February 15, 2016
Ryazan Memorial Мемориал Ryazan Human rights organization February 1, 2016
Institute for Forecasts and Regulations of Political Conflicts Институт прогнозирования и урегулирования политических конфликтов Nizhny Novgorod Conflict Research Institute 22nd January 2016
Committee for the Prevention of Torture (Russia) Комитет по предотвращению пыток Nizhny Novgorod Organization for Victims of Torture January 14, 2014
Social Research Office Бюро общественных расследовании Nizhny Novgorod January 14, 2016

2014-2015

(Selection)

organization Russian location activities Registered since Web links
Transparency International Russia Трансперенси Интернешнл-Р Moscow Corruption analysis April 7, 2015
Golos Volga region Голос Samara Election observation February 6, 2015
Sakharov Foundation Фонд Андрея Сахарова Moscow Human rights organization December 25, 2014
Institute of the Regional Press Институт региональной прессы St. Petersburg Press center August 28, 2014
Information agency memo.ru Информационное агенство мемо.ру Moscow Website of the human rights organization Memorial August 28, 2014
Institute for the Development of Freedom of Information Институт развитии свободы информации St. Petersburg August 28, 2014
Environmental defense! - Women's Council Экозащита! - Женсовет Kaliningrad Environmental protection organization July 21, 2014
Legal Association Правозащитная ассоциация Kazan Legal advice July 21, 2014
Memorial Legal Center Правозащитный центр Мемориал Moscow Legal advice July 21, 2014
Social verdict Общественный вердикт Moscow Civil rights organization July 21, 2014

Former registrations

Organizations that have been able to abandon their status as "foreign agents" (selection)

  • Soldiers' mothers Saint Petersburg (August 28, 2014, done October 23, 2015)

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Law on Foreign Agents adopted Russia Update, July 13, 2012
  2. ^ Russian NGO under pressure Neue Zürcher Zeitung, November 24, 2012
  3. ↑ The Constitutional Court declares the so-called "Agents Act" to be the constitutional Institute for Law, Economics and Trade in the Baltic Sea Region, April 25, 2014
  4. ↑ [1]
  5. ↑ [2]
  6. ↑ For the first time, the Ministry of Justice has included individuals in the media register as "foreign agents" - including Lev Ponomarev , Novaya Gazeta, December 28, 2020
  7. ↑ Register of foreign agents (as of November 25, 2021) without going through with them like actual agents .
  8. ^ ARD-Studio Moscow: Process start in Moscow. Memorial threatens to end. , November 25, 2021.
  9. ↑ a b Christian Esch (interview with Galina Timtschenko): "I call it a hostage-taking". Spiegel Online, May 1, 2021.
  10. ↑ Register of non-commercial organizations performing the role of foreign agent Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, as of October 7, 2016
  11. ↑ a b c d Annette Langer: Russia's fight against critical journalists: "The state wants to spread fear" . In: The mirror . November 29, 2021, ISSN  2195-1349 ( spiegel.de [accessed November 29, 2021]).
  12. ↑ Save Meduza Our continued existence now depends on you. In: meduza.io/en. Retrieved May 1, 2021 .
  13. ↑ a b c Moscow classifies pussy riot activists as "foreign agents". Accessed December 31, 2021 (Austrian German).
  14. ↑ The "For Human Rights" movement was fined 300 thousand rubles for refusing to recognize itself as an "agent". , Novaya Gazeta, April 25, 2019
  15. ^ "Foreign agent" three times , Novaya Gazeta, February 14, 2019
  16. ^ Lev Ponomarev: Russia should be ashamed to go down the path of totalitarianism again. Even if it's totalitarianism-light. , rightsinrussia.org, November 27, 2020
  17. ↑ a b "I considered it a civil duty to give a signal" , Novaya Gazeta, December 27, 2017
  18. ↑ In Saratov the organization of diabetics was recognized as a "foreign agent" and fined 300,000 rubles , Novaya Gazeta, May 28, 2018
  19. ↑ "We will consider this to be a mistake in our case law" , Novaya Gazeta, May 29, 2018
  20. ↑ INTERVIEWS "We were called" foreign agents ", which confirms our status as patriots" , Novaya Gazeta, December 5, 2017
  21. ↑ No Kopek for the Kremlin , NZZ, April 2017
  22. ↑ Dagestan: High Toll Fees for Truck Drivers - Small Businesses on Strike , Das Erste, April 30, 2017
  23. ↑ Russian truck drivers strike against truck toll , RBTH, November 13, 2015
  24. ^ Memorial Germany website
  25. ↑ Russia classifies the human rights group Memorial as an "agent". Deutsche Welle, October 5, 2016, accessed on October 9, 2016 .
  26. ↑ Website ( Memento of the original from October 19, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (currently not available) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.parkgagarina.info
  27. ↑ American Alumni Club website (English)
  28. ↑ A super-epidemic is brewing in Russia Süddeutsche Zeitung, September 30, 2016
  29. ↑ Интеграционный центр "Миграция и право" Directory of NGOs in Moscow (Russian)
  30. ^ Schleswig-Holstein information office in Kaliningrad IHK Schleswig-Holstein
  31. ↑ FC Kremlin. Republic. Retrieved June 17, 2018 .
  32. ↑ memo.ru (Russian)
  33. ↑ memo.ru/deutsch ( Memento of the original from December 27, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.memo.ru
  34. ↑ “Ecodefense in Difficulty” , Deutschlandfunk , June 18, 2014.