 Source: Youth Human Rights Movement We are following the situation closely as it develops and have decided to prepare a running list of the organisations currently being subjected to this harassment (see below). List of Russian non-profit organisations being harassed for their refusal to register as "foreign agents" (as of 10 May 2013) I. Administrative Cases (4 NGOs) If the courts find these organisations guilty of failing to register as "foreign agents" they face fines of up to 500,000 rubles, and their directors – of up to 300,000 rubles. 1. Golos Association for the Protection of Voters' Rights The Ministry of Justice opened an administrative case against Golos on 9 April 2013. Formal grounds: the organisation prepared and promoted the project for a unified Electoral Code and allegedly received the Andrei Sakharov Freedom Prize from the Norwegian Helsinki Committee –http://golos.org/news/7008 [1], http://openinform.ru/news/pursuit/09.04.2013/28300 [2] On 25 April Golos was found guilty in Presnensky Court in Moscow and was given a 300,000 ruble fine (its director was fined 100,000 rubles) –http://openinform.ru/news/pursuit/25.04.2013/28381/ [3] Golos appealed the court ruling on 8 May – http://openinform.ru/news/pursuit/08.05.2013/28414/ [4] 2. Kostroma Civic Initiatives Support Centre The Kostroma Regional Prosecutor's Office opened a criminal case on 15 April. Formal grounds: the organisation led a roundtable discussion on the topic of Russia-US relations attended by a representative from the US embassy – http://openinform.ru/news/pursuit/16.04.2013/28328 [5]\ Court hearings began on 29 April but were subsequently postponed until 16 May – http://openinform.ru/news/pursuit/29.04.2013/28391 [6] 3. Memorial Anti-Discrimination Centre The Admiralty District Prosecutor's Office in St. Petersburg opened an administrative case on 30 April. Formal grounds: the organisation receives funding from abroad and published a report on police violence against Roma, migrants and civic activists which was presented to the UN Committee Against Torture. The organisation is awaiting its court hearing – http://adcmemorial.org/www/7056.html [7] 4. “Side By Side” LGBT Film Festival The Central District Prosecutor's Office in St. Petersburg opened an administrative case on 6 May. Formal grounds: the organisation published the brochure "The International LGBT Movement: From Local Specifics to Global Politics" and participated in the public educational campaign "Together we will stop the homophobic law", and also participated in the campaign against the federal bill "On homosexual propaganda" (in fact the organisation led a campaign against the St. Petersburg bill in 2011) – http://www.bok-o-bok.ru/news.asp?lan=2&tid=940 [8] II. Notices of Violations (4 NGOs) These organisations must "eliminate any violations" i.e. register as "foreign agents" within a given period (one month). 1. Baikal Environmental Wave (Irkutsk) Notice dated 23 April. Formal grounds: the organisation engages in "active lobbying on environmental issues" –http://www.kommersant.ru/doc/2177426 [9]. 2. Memorial Human Rights Centre Notice dated 29 April. Formal grounds: the group of objectives listed in its Charter (to make information about violations of human rights and freedoms open and available, to uncover the truth about crimes committed by totalitarian regimes, to study mass violations of human rights, etc.), the organisation runs programmes and projects which monitor politically-motivated administrative arrests and criminal prosecutions, including through the OVD-Info project – http://memo.ru/d/156457.HTML [10] 3. Agora Interregional Human Rights Association Notice dated 30 April. Formal grounds: the organisation runs a project on internet freedom funded by Internews Network, it supports "the activity of jurists and lawyers capable of influencing policy and law enforcement practices" and aims to "force the Government and Roskomnadzor to pass judgements which establish administrative procedures for the application of the blacklist law." The organisation is also accredited by the Ministry of Justice as an independent expert authorised to conduct anti-corruption assessments of legislative acts and projects –http://kommersant.ru/doc/2182309 [11], http://procrf.ru/news/117159-prokuratura-respubliki-vyiyavila-narushenie.html [12] 4. Panorama Centre Notice dated 6 May. Formal grounds: the organisation receives foreign funding and is conducting a research project analysing political processes in Russia, which includes holding roundtables, discussions and the publication of information on websites which form public opinion on the flaws in current legislation, and the protest movement – http://lj.rossia.org/users/anticompromat/2053674.html [13] III. Warnings about Violations (18 NGOs) These organisations were warned that they need to register as "foreign agents" before they can engage in "political activity" or receive foreign funding in the future. 1. Kostroma Committee of Soldiers' Mothers Warning dated 16 April. Formal grounds: the organisation's representatives took part in observing the elections held in December 2011 and March 2012 – http://openinform.ru/news/pursuit/17.04.2013/28340/ [14] 2. Yaroslavl Regional Society of Hunters and Fishermen Warning dated 16 April. Formal grounds: charter provisions allowing the organisation to participate in and organise rallies and other public actions –http://rors.ru/ru/activity/obras/1/25042013.pdf [15]. 3. Democratic Centre (Voronezh) Warning dated 22 April. Formal grounds: the organisation took part in observing elections in December 2011 – http://article20.org/news/voronezhskii-demokraticheskii-tsentr-priznan-politicheskim-i [16]; 4. Volgograd NGO Support Centre Warning dated 22 April. Formal grounds: the organisation is running a project on public diplomacy - "Information Centre of International Security" - funded by the NATO Information Office. One of the project's objectives is "informational support for the activity of regional branches of political parties, representatives of the authorities, and institutions of civic society on vital issues of international relations and international security," –http://www.kommersant.ru/doc/2177426 [9], http://www.kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/223398/ [17]; 5. Interregional Committee Against Torture Warning dated 22 April. Formal grounds: the organisation participated in "mass events, which can be viewed as political activity," before November 2012 – http://www.interfax-russia.ru/Povoljie/news.asp?id=399128&sec=1672 [18] 6. Kaliningrad Local Association Fund Warning dated 23 April. Formal grounds: the "formation of public opinion", named as one of the organisation's aims in its charter –http://www.kommersant.ru/doc/2177426 [9] 7. Individual and the Law (Yoshkar-Ola) Warning dated 24 April. Formal grounds: its charter reads that the organisation's employees "can participate in public events, rallies and assemblies", and based on information on its website, it follows that the organisation "facilitates the observance of human rights by representatives of the state authorities," – http://www.interfax-russia.ru/Povoljie/news.asp?id=397705&sec=1671 [19] 8. Institute of Press Development - Siberia (Novosibirsk) Warning dated 24 April. Formal grounds: its charter states that one of the organisation's objectives is to "assist in the development of civic society in Russia and the strengthening of democratic principles in Russian life," and lists several types of public activity which the group can carry out to achieve these aims – http://taktaktak.org/blog/posts/2013/04/8500/ [20] 9. "Assistance for cystic fibrosis patients" (Istra, Moscow Region) Warning dated 24 April. Formal grounds: the organisation's charter reads that the group's aim is the "protection of the rights and legal interests of cystic fibrosis patients before state bodies" and that the group can "come up with initiatives on various issues in public life, submit proposals to state bodies, represent and defends the rights and legal interests of its members, as well as those of other citizens before state and municipal bodies," –http://pch-maya.livejournal.com/1914388.html [21], http://ria.ru/disabled_position/20130425/934474791.html [22] The warning was withdrawn on 30 April – http://ria.ru/society/20130501/935549338.HTML [23]; 10. Amur Socio-Ecological Union (Blagoveshchensk) Warning dated 24 April. Formal grounds: the organisation's charter states one of its objectives as being offering "assistance to the state, citizens and their associations in activity aimed at the conservation and restoration of our natural and cultural heritage and the protection of the environment," and lists several types of public activity the group can carry out to achieve these aims – http://www.wwf.ru/resources/news/article/11191 [24] 11. Ryazan Memorial Society Warning dated 24 April. Formal grounds: aims and types of activity (building a legal state and civic society, the ability to hold rallies etc.) listed in its Charter – http://www.hro.org/node/16458 [25] 12. Golos-Urals Foundation (Chelyabinsk) Warning dated 25 April. Formal grounds: the provisions of its Charter (to assist in cooperation between society and state authorities at all levels and local government bodies, including involving citizens in the decision-making processes of state and local government bodies on strategic and vital issues for social development, and to examine the activity of state legislative bodies etc.) – http://ura.ru/content/chel/26-04-2013/news/1052157214.html [26] 13. Citizens Watch (St. Petersburg) Warning dated 25 April. Formal grounds: charter provisions, the organisation "holds public events, including seminars, and publishes materials in the mass media," – http://www.president-sovet.ru/structure/group_detst/materials/Prokuratura26.04.2013.pdf [27] 14. Urals Democratic Foundation Warning dated 25 April. Formal grounds: the organisation receives funding from abroad – http://www.ng.ru/regions/2013-04-29/100_ural.html [28] 15. Transparency International Russia Warning dated 26 April. Formal grounds: "The Centre's charter goals and its actual work indicate the Centre's participation in forming public opinion on state policy in law enforcement and other areas in the Russian Federation and its impact on the decision-making of state bodies, including on legislative acts," – http://www.transparency.org.ru/dokumenty/vstretimsia-v-sude[29] 16. Memorial Komi Human Rights Commission Warning dated 27 April. Formal grounds: Charter provisions (participation in the development of draft laws, the framing of decisions taken by the authorities, the formation of proposals and recommendations for the authorities regarding citizens' rights and freedoms, combating corruption and abuse of administrative power). In addition, "members of the organisation participated in public political actions in 2011-2012, including protests, with the aim of influencing the relevant decisions made by state authorities" – http://7x7-journal.ru/post/27665R=Коми [30], http://memo.ru/d/156457.html [31] 17. Kirov Regional Society of Hunters and Fishermen Warning dated 29 April. Formal grounds: charter provisions (ability to form local government bodies), offering services to foreign tourists –http://www.interfax-russia.ru/Povoljie/news.asp?id=398947&sec=1671 [32], http://kommersant.ru/doc/2182410 [33],http://kommersant.ru/news/2182025 [34] 18. Urals Human Rights Group Warning dated 29 April. Formal grounds: the organisation receives funding from abroad – http://www.ng.ru/regions/2013-04-29/100_ural.html [28] 19. Muravyevsky Sustainable Development Park Warning dated 30 April. Formal grounds: study and protection of birds – http://www.craneland.ru/?p=5280 [35],http://www.novayagazeta.ru/news/64669.html [36]. 12 warnings issued to environmental organisations (there are no details regarding the date the warnings were issued or the formal grounds for the warnings – http://www.wwf.ru/resources/news/article/11191 [24], http://www.greenpeace.org/russia/ru/news/2013/30-04-Environmentalists_called_foreign_agents/ [37]): 1. Sakhalin Environment Watch 2. For Nature (Chelyabinsk) 3. Green House (Khabarovsk) 4. Siberian Environmental Centre (Novosibirsk) 5. SPOK (Petrozavodsk) 6. Kola Environmental Centre (Murmansk) 7. Kola Wildlife Conservation Centre (Murmansk) 8. Ulukitkan Amur Environmental Club (Blagoveshchensk) 9. Phoenix Fund (Vladivostok) 10. Tengri School of Spiritual Ecology (Gorno-Altaisk) 11. Association of Special Protected Natural Areas of the Republic of Altai (Gorno-Altaisk) 12. Eyge Environmental Education Centre of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) (City of Yakutsk) |
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