NGOs Find Loophole in ‘Foreign Agents’ Law

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – June 13, 2013) Non-governmental organizations in Russia have found a way to bypass the law requiring them to register as “foreign agents,” a news report said Thursday.

An official in one NGO told Kommersant that his agency is planning to set up a commercial organization which will officially receive foreign grants. The main NGO will stop receiving financing, and will therefore be in compliance with the law. The official’s identity was not disclosed.

The controversial law on foreign agents, signed by Putin in July 2012, obliges all organizations involved in political activity and receiving funding from abroad to register as “foreign agents” with the Justice Ministry. Many critics say that the law is another step taken by the Kremlin to suppress opposition to Putin’s rule

Grigory Melkoyants, deputy director of election monitoring watchdog Golos, said that the law on foreign agents is a “forced measure” introduced by the government and that his organization will do whatever it can to avoid registering. “But if there is a desire to put pressure on us, it doesn’t help,” he added.

Golos was among the first NGOs to come under attack from law enforcement officials when it’s regional organization was fined 300,000 rubles ($10,000) in April for failing to register as a foreign agent.

The majority of Russian non-governmental organizations have so far refused to comply, saying that their activity is not connected to politics, but human rights issues.