MOSCOW, April 17 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's law on non-governmental organizations, subject to considerable Western criticism, comes into force Monday.
Ella Pamfilova, head of the presidential council on civil society institutions and human rights, said the body would hold a training session with about 100 lawyers to avoid possible infringements.
"The law itself is neither good, nor bad," Pamfilova said. "The point is not the law itself, but its enforcement."
The bill on non-governmental organizations was adopted late in 2005 following amendments made by President Vladimir Putin. The law was harshly criticized by the West, where many said it could hamper the activities of foreign NGOs in Russia, including humanitarian and rights groups. Russian officials argued control over foreign NGOs in western countries was much more stringent.
