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Journalists, human rights defenders, environmentalists, doctors and charitable foundations created a petition on change.org demanding the repeal of the “foreign agents” law. It is addressed to the State Duma, the Federation Council and the Ombudsman.
Since the beginning of 2021, the Russian Ministry of Justice has entered 6 media outlets, 20 journalists and 7 NGOs into the register of so-called foreign agents. These organizations and people joined the list of 221 “foreign agents” that were forcibly entered by the Russian authorities into the relevant registers in 2013-2020.
The authors of the appeal assess what is happening as an act of state pressure on the media and public organizations.
“Both the legislation itself and the established law enforcement practice are aimed at weakening the institutions of civil society. The legislation on “foreign agents” is openly discriminatory and illegal: it contradicts the Russian Constitution and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, ”the petition says.
As noted, many organizations are forced to stop working and be liquidated. The rest are under constant risk of audits and forced liquidation. The rules are constantly being tightened and formulated in such a way that it is impossible in principle to fully comply with them.
Foreign agents are constantly under threat of criminal prosecution – from fines to imprisonment up to 5 years.
The slightest violations of the rules (whether it is reporting requirements that even specialists of the Ministry of Justice cannot unambiguously interpret, or to the marking of materials) lead to multimillion-dollar fines and bankruptcy of organizations. The media are losing advertisers and sources of information. More and more restrictions are imposed on the activities of NGOs: for example, a ban on nominating candidates for Public Monitoring Commissions, a ban on conducting anti-corruption examinations, restrictions on organizing public events.
Also, the authors of the petition note that an unprecedented invasion of privacy is taking place, since the so-called individuals – foreign agents are required to report not only their income, but also about every ruble spent.
The rights of all citizens of Russia are being infringed, for whom access to independent sources of information is reduced. Organizations that help people are becoming weaker and weaker.
The legislation is only getting tougher and wider every year. Now it extends not only to non-profit organizations, but also to the media; requires not only reporting and labeling, but also introduces outright bans. Finally, this legislation applies not only to organizations, but also to ordinary people. Anyone can become an “foreign agent” today.
Apparently, in addition to civic organizations and the media, the list of “foreign agents” will be replenished by educators, philanthropists, and cultural institutions. In other words, by those initiatives that rely in their work on society and not on the authorities.
Among those who signed the petition:
Advita
Lawyer street
ADC Memorial
ANO “Special City”
ANO “Phoenix PLUS”
ANO “EcoPravo” (former Belona)
ANO Special city
ANO help to animals “Little life”
Anton is here next
Architectural overkill
Association of Environmental Journalists of the Union of Journalists of Russia
Base
Charitable Foundation for Social and Legal Aid “Sphere”
Bok-o-bok
Paper
BF “Our children”
CF “Creative Association” Circle “
BF Oxygen
BF Tradition
Important stories
New Kachkanar newspaper
Gordeeva
bitter
Citizen and army
Civil control
Grani.Ru
Humanitarian action
Movement Voice
Denis Kamalyagin
Discourse
Dissernet
Stillpozner
Press Development Institute-Siberia
It may be a city
Caucasian Knot
Civic Assistance Committee
Committee against torture
Pechora Rescue Committee
Circle
Or either
Mediazona
Jellyfish
International Memorial
International Socio-Ecological Union
Interregional Patient Public Organization for Primary Immunodeficiency
MOSS
Garbage.No
Moscow Helsinki Group
Nezavisimaya Gazeta of the Northern District of Moscow “Our North”
Independent medical community
New avenue
Lodging house
Public Verdict
Society of Research Fellows
Tarusa Hospital Aid Society
OVD-Info
Boys plus
gift a life
New Drug Policy Program (Hand-help, ru)
Union of Journalists
Pskov province
PC Memorial
PEN-Moscow
RBOF “Hematology and Intensive Care”
Republic
RPO for helping children with ASD “Contact”
ROOVSO “House of Childhood”
Roskomsvoboda
Seated Russia
Sakharov Center
Sergey Markelov
Silver rose
Spectrum
Stimulus
Suffering middle ages
TV2
You will be believed
TVK TV company (Krasnoyarsk)
Greenhouse Social Technology
Speech technique
Transparency International – R
Trinity option
Andrey Rylkov Foundation
Life Path Foundation
Foundation for the Protection of Urban Animals
Foundation Latest address
Fund of miracles “Dedmorozim”
Cold
Center for the revival of cultural heritage “Krokhino”
Media Protection Center
Center for Independent Sociological Research
Owl Center
CENTER FOR PROMOTING CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM (Prison.Org)
Fourth sector
Eco protection
7×7
Colta.Ru
Doxa
InLiberty
The Insider
The Village
other
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