UN urges Russia to amend 'law on foreign agents'
Russia needs to amend its "law on foreign agents", according to the High Commissioner of the World Organization for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein. He said this during the opening of the 32nd session of the UN Council on Human Rights in Geneva, TASS reported on Monday, June 13, 2016.
"This week a number of amendments to Russian laws on "foreign agents" have come into force. More than 90 non-governmental organizations are now listed as "foreign agents." This definition implies that their activity is political in nature," al-Hussein said. "I continue to encourage the authorities to follow the recommendations of the human rights mechanisms of the UN and to amend the law in accordance with Russia’s international human rights obligations," the UN High Commissioner said.
The law on "foreign agents" was adopted in Russia in the summer of 2012. It requires those organizations engaged in political activity and receiving funds from abroad to be classified as "foreign agents" and registered as such. When posting content on the Internet or mass media, such organizations must indicate their status. Organizations failing to comply with this requirement are subject to a fine.