The British Foreign Office has criticized Russia’s recent law on non-governmental organizations saying the new legislation creates unnecessary obstacles for the normal operation of the civil society.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed on Saturday a law forcing non-government organizations (NGOs) engaged in political activity with foreign financing to be branded as "foreign agents." The law will come in force starting in November.
“By creating additional burdensome requirements for NGOs, and labeling them with a term seemingly designed to generate mistrust, this move can only be seen as having a negative impact on the free operation of civil society,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.
The top British diplomatic body has praised the work of Russian NGOs and their contribution to the democratic developments in the country.
“Many Russian NGOs receive foreign support for their important activities in the fields of human rights, the rule of law and anti-corruption. They make a crucial contribution to the protection of democratic rights and to the development of a vibrant civil society in Russia,” the statement said.
British criticism of the new Russian law follows the same reaction expressed by the United States, when the U.S. Department of State branded the legislation as an intimidation of human and civil rights activists.
Under the new legislation, NGOs would have to publish a biannual report on their activities and carry out an annual financial audit. Failure to comply with the law could result in four-year jail sentences and/or fines of up to 300,000 rubles ($9,200).
