Russia: Law adopted on criminal liability for working with ‘undesirable’ CSOs
Law adopted on criminal liability for working with undesirable CSOs
16 June 2021
The new law calls for prison sentences of up to six years.
On 16 June, on the third reading the State Duma adopted the draft bill establishing criminal liability for the work of undesirable foreign NGOs (CSOs) and for those who support them.
Amendments were brought to Article 284.1 of the Criminal Code. The law establishes criminal liability for participating in the activity of CSOs designated as undesirable in the Russian Federation, for donating and collecting funds for them, and for coordinating their activity on Russian territory.
Those organising the activity of undesirable CSOs inside Russia face between two and six years in prison, while those donating and collecting funds for undesirable CSOs face sentences of between one and five years.
The draft bill was written by members of the State Duma Commission on investigating foreign interference in Russian affairs, led by the Commission chairman Vasiliy Piskarev.
The Ministry of Justice has included 34 foreign CSOs on the list of undesirable organisations.
