Presidential Council to develop mechanisms to counter pressure on NGOs

Moscow, 06.07.2016

Mechanisms to protect NGOs against pressure will be prepared by three standing committees of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights.

Members of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights (HRC) will assist non-profit organisations and civil society activists who are subjected to undue pressure from various inspecting agencies. Organisations and activists whose work can be accurately described as within the field of human rights will receive support from the HRC. Three standing committees of the HRC will be engaged in the development of proposals: the committee on civil liberties and civic participation, the committee on the development of NGOs and the committee on landmark cases.

During a meeting of the three committees of the Presidential Council, human rights activists discussed, in particular, the designation of the association Golos as a foreign agent and the criminal proceedings against the head of the Women of the Don Union and its namesake foundation, Valentina Cherevatenko. It is the first criminal case to be brought for evasion of the ‘foreign agent’ law. The decision to initiate criminal proceedings stated that Cherevatenko, “having criminal intent”, established the Women of the Don Foundation in 2013 in order to avoid the ‘foreign agent’ law. Cherevatenko herself believes her prosecution is linked to the launch of civilian monitoring of the implementation of the Minsk agreements.

Author: Georgii Ivanushkin

http://www.asi.org.ru/news/132781/