Russian Justice Ministry finds no NGOs falling foul of anti-Magnitskiy law

(Interfax – January 18, 2013)

Russia’s Justice Ministry has said that it has so far found no NGOs headed by or financed by citizens of the USA whose activities could be suspended under the “anti-Magnitskiy” law (also known as the Dima Yakovlev law).

The law, better known for its controversial Article 4, which bans US citizens from adopting Russian children, came into force on 1 January. The legislation was passed in response to the USA’s Magnitskiy Act, signed into law in December, which bars Russian citizens accused of violating human rights from travelling to the USA and from owning real estate or other assets there.

According to Article 3 of the anti-Magnitskiy law, activities of NGOs that engage in political activity on Russian territory and receive funds free from US citizens or organizations or implement projects in Russian territory which present a threat to the country’s interests may be suspended by decision of the Justice Ministry.

“At the moment no grounds have been established for taking such decisions,” a representative of the Justice Ministry was quoted as saying.

The ministry also said that it currently has no official information that any heads of Russian NGOs or branches of foreign organizations have US citizenship “since the legislation of the Russian Federation does not oblige NGOs to provide this information for government registration or during its subsequent activities”, the representative was quoted as saying.