Rules tightened on registering subsidiaries of foreign NGOs
23.07.2018
The Federation Council’s Committee on Budgets and Financial Markets is recommending that a bill to reduce the period for registering the subsidiaries of foreign NGOs be passed on its first reading.
The Parliamentary Newspaper reports that the Russian Government bill applies to the subsidiaries of foreign NGOs and religious organisations. Once the bill is enacted they will need to register the address of their offices within seven days; currently they have ten days.
The law was originally approved by the State Duma. It states that organisations are refused registration if their activities are not in conformity with the Russian Constitution or current Russian legislation. The purpose of the law, as shown in its explanatory notes, is to tighten control over organisations that are not involved in governmental or commercial activity.
In the past the European Court of Human Rights has received complaints about the Russian law on undesirable organisations, which was passed in May 2015. The law has been condemned by rights groups in Russia and abroad. Undesirable organisations are defined as foreign and international organisations that undermine the safety and security of the Russian government and the principles of its constitution.
