Russian State Duma passes bill in first reading giving new grounds to inspect NGOs

(Interfax – MOSCOW, October 9, 2013) The Russian State Duma has passed a bill in the first reading expanding grounds for unscheduled inspections of non-governmental organizations (NGO).

According to the explanatory materials to the bill, it is expected to expand the list of grounds over which the Justice Ministry can hold unscheduled inspections of NGOs regarding which the information on violations of the Russian law exists.

The expiration of the timeline to rectify a violation stipulated in a warning, which has been returned to the NGO by an authorized agency, is suggested to be a grounds for inspection. Another ground proposed is receiving information by an authorized agency from the state or local authorities that a NGO violates the Russian law in its activities or that its activities have signs of extremism.

The third additional ground is the order of a head of a relevant agency made in accordance with the order of the Russian president or government or upon the request of a prosecutor to hold an unscheduled inspection in the framework of making sure that the law is complied with over materials and appeals received by the prosecutor’s office.