Western aid and civil society groups said on Wednesday they faced being closed down after Russia’s Parliament passed a Bill restricting foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
The Duma, whose 450 members rarely defy the Kremlin, voted 370 to 18 for the Bill, which would impose curbs on western activists and aid groups. It will have to go for further readings in the Duma and will require the signature of the president to become law.
Vladimir Putin, the President, and the security services were concerned that foreign NGOs may be used to finance political opposition and promote civil dissent.
Western NGOs said on Wednesday the law would effectively close them down by forcing them to re-register as Russian NGOs which are subject to tight controls, rather than branches of foreign ones.
Holly Cartner, regional director for Human Rights Watch, said: ”The express purpose of this law is to emasculate the NGO community”. She added it would ”eviscerate” civil society in Russia.
Ekaterina Militskaya, of Aids Foundation East West, said: ”These amendments de facto inhibit the activities of foreign NGOs in Russia. We would practically have to close.”
Alexander Tchuyev, one of the Bill’s authors and MP from the nationalistic Rodina party, denied the Bill had a political edge, adding it was only intended to stop ”extremism, and activity contradicting the Constitution”. – Guardian Unlimited Â