What is Russia's 'foreign agent' law

 

In Russia, many organizations and people receiving money from abroad for their work have to apply the status of "foreign agent". This word arouses some kind of suspicion. With the help of this, the Russian government takes action against some people and organizations. The 'Foreign Agent' law came in 2012 in Russia. Then there were NGOs receiving financial help or donations from abroad under the ambit of this law. But in December 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a new ordinance. Through this the legal scope of the 'Foreign Agent' Law was expanded. Now any person or organization publishing 'print, audio, audio visual, other reports or material' in Russia with financial assistance from abroad will be called a 'foreign agent'. People or organizations taking money from a foreign government, institution or citizen in exchange for the publication of such content, are called foreign agents.

Consequences of the Foreign Agent Act Once a foreign agent is posted, institutions and individuals under its purview are required to tag a foreign agent in their published material. Even in social media posts, they have to write the status of foreign agent as a disclaimer. Institutions and individuals under the purview of a foreign agent are required to submit financial statements and reports of their activities every six months. In addition, they also have an annual audit. In Russia the term 'foreign agent' creates a negative connotation. Since the time of the Soviet Union, foreign agents have been seen in association with espionage. This term was used in Soviet times for political opponents. Advertisers also start distancing themselves from people or organizations that are called foreign agents.

Foreign agents are believed to dislike the Russian government. Russian civil rights organizations raise concerns about the Foreign Agent Law that it could be used against some journalists, human rights advocates and critics. The Russian government says that the purpose of the law is not to impose censorship. President Putin says this law is to protect Russia from foreign interference. Who's Who in the List of 'Foreign Agents' In December 2021, two members of the punk activist group, Pussy Riot, were listed as foreign agents. Pussy Riot raises feminism, civil rights and political issues through punk music. Pussy Riot is also famous for its bitter criticism of Putin and the Russian government. In December itself, the Russian administration also put the Memorial Human Rights Center, one of the country's oldest human rights organizations, on the list of foreign agents.

Foreign agent was not written in the status on many social media posts of the organization, making this an issue and action was taken against it. Criticism in the world for the closure of the Russian human rights group 'Memorial' A month before these two cases, in November 2021, top human rights lawyer Ivan Pavlov, who defended Putin's staunch critic Alexei Navalny, was also labeled a foreign agent. Journalist and satirist Viktor Shenderovich, who raised political issues through puppet games in the 1990s, has also been put on the list of foreign agents by the Russian Justice Ministry. At present there are 111 names in this list. By the end of 2020, there were only 17 names in this list. On 3 February 2022, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced the initiation of the process of putting Germany's international broadcaster Deutsche Welle on the foreign agent list. Before this announcement, the Russian government closed DW's bureau in the capital, Moscow. Report: