Putin Seizes Control of Previously Independent NGOs

International Society for Human Rights
November 24, 2005

Amendments in the law on non-governmental organizations meant to render foreign support impossible

On December 9, 2005, a new law intended to introduce significant changes for non-governmental organizations, is likely to pass its 2nd and 3rd reading in the DUMA, the Russian Parliament, and will thereafter be presented to the Russian Federation Council for approval, the International Society for Human Rights (ISHR) reports.

According to the new law, “governmental authorities will be equipped with additional powers to control activities and funding of non-governmental organizations (NGOs)”, the German section of the human rights organization which also has a presence in Russia, criticizes. ISHR is concerned that the Putin-Administration is about to force into line or even eliminate the last independent NGO structures in Russia. A group of deputies of Putin’s ‘United Russia’ party, the Communist party, Shirinovsky’s party and the nationalistic ‘Rodina’ party introduced the bill. Government authorities are to be equipped with the power to demand financial and business-related documents at any time and without giving reasons. This will further cultivate a breeding ground for arbitrariness by civil servants. Foreign NGOs will be the subject of particularly harsh restrictions.

The bill foresees to fully prohibit activities of representations and branch offices of these organizations. Foreign citizens, who do not have a Russian residence permit for at least one year will be prohibited from founding NGOs or from becoming a member of Russian NGOs. “The coming into force of this law will effectively lead to the completion of activities of numerous NGOs”, affected Russian human rights activists are criticizing the law. The Russian section of ISHR has therefore co-signed a letter of protest of Russian NGOs against the planned parliamentary initiative.

Vladislav Pomogaev, Vice-President of the Russian ISHR-section says: “The suggested new registration procedure will not change anything much. Russian civil society organizations are already heavily restricted in their work. This initiative is only about taking Putin’s idea one step further: All foreign actors are to be banned from the Russian NGO-community. They are not supposed to act as independent branch offices or subsidiaries any longer. Organizations with only a Russian membership are simply easier to control.”