Russian charities to escape “foreign agent” label

The Russian Duma has signed into law a new amendment that will see Russian charities that receive money from abroad exempt from the label of “foreign agent”.

Non-governmental organisations working in areas such as arts and culture will also no longer be classified as “foreign agents”.

“With this amendment, these organisations can receive money from abroad without fear that their work will be somehow construed as political,” head of the Public and Religious Associations Committee, Yaroslav Nilov, stated, adding that that safeguards would ensure that organisations falling under the new amendment do not engage in political activity.

A Russian law passed in 2012 requires any organisation that receives funding from abroad and is engaged in “political activity” to register as a “foreign agent”. Under amendments to the law adopted in 2014, the authorities are able to forcibly register NGOs as “foreign agents”.

Source: Moscow Times