28/02/2013
GCR, in siding with ECRE, also supports the Russian NGOs defying the new law obliging organisations receiving foreign funding to identify themselves as “foreign agents”.
Controversial changes to the law on NGOs came into force in Russia on 21 November 2012, meaning that any NGO engaging in “political activity” and receiving foreign funding can be asked to register on a database of “foreign agents”. Any materials distributed by such NGOs, including in the media and on the internet, have to be accompanied by a reference to their foreign agent status.
Πολλές οργανώσεις ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων δήλωσαν ότι δε θα συμμορφωθούν με τη συγκεκριμένη νομοθεσία και ότι δε θα εγγραφούν οικιοθελώς στο συγκεκριμένο μητρώο. Πράγματι, στις 6 Φεβρουαρίου, το European Human Rights Advocacy Centre (EHRAC), και το Memorial Human Rights Centre, μέλος του ECRE, κατέθεσαν αίτηση στο Ευρωπαϊκό Δικαστήριο Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων εκ μέρους 11 ηγετικών ρωσικών ΜΚΟ Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων αμφισβητώντας την εν λόγω νομοθεσία. Το EHRAC και το Memorial ισχυρίζονται ότι η νομοθεσία αυτή παραβιάζει το δικαίωμα τους στην ελευθερία του συνέρχεσθαι και συνεταιρίζεσθαι (Άρθρο 10 & 11 της Ευρωπαϊκής Σύμβασης για την Προστασία των Δικαιωμάτων του Ανθρώπου), καθώς και στην απαγόρευση των διακρίσεων (Άρθρο 14 & 18). Οι ΜΚΟ υποστηρίζουν ότι η συγκεκριμένη νομοθεσία τους υποβάλλει άσκοπα και αδικαιολόγητα σε θέση όπου διατρέχουν κίνδυνο σοβαρών κυρώσεων, συμπεριλαμβανομένων των ποινικών διώξεων ατόμων και της πιθανής κατάργησης των οργανώσεών τους.
Furthermore, the applicants say that the term ‘Foreign Agent’ has very negative connotations in Russia due to its association with the word ‘spy’ in the Russian language, which will therefore affect their reputations and their ability to function effectively. The lack of clear definition of ‘political activity’ in the Russian legislation is also contested as it is believed that it could lead to the arbitrary application of the law by the authorities.
Philip Leach, Director of EHRAC has said, “This is a very repressive law which directly threatens the integrity and the activities of Russian NGOs which play an absolutely vital role in scrutinising and monitoring the State. We urge the Strasbourg Court to move quickly to strike it down.”
Oleg Orlov, Memorial’s chairman, said that accepting the “foreign agent” label would so undermine public trust that rights advocates would no longer be able to carry out essential work. Memorial has refused to reject current foreign funded grants as this would mean they would have to drop important human rights related activities, including taking cases to the European Court of Human Rights.
In 2009, Memorial received the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought awarded by the European Parliament to individuals or organisations that have made an important contribution to the fight for human rights or democracy.
This new law seriously compromises the ability of Russian human rights activists to carry out their essential work and GCR stands with these organisations against this stigmatisation.
For further information:
- EHRAC, Leading Russian Human Rights NGOs launch challenge at European Court to ‘Foreign Agent’ Law
6 February 2013
- Dutch Council for Refugees, Steun voor Russische ‘Memorial Human Rights Centre’,
22 January 2013
- New York Times, As ‘Foreign Agent’ Law Takes Effect in Russia, Human Rights Groups Vow to Defy It, New York Times
21 November 2012
- The St Petersburg Times, NGOs face ‘foreign agent’ harassment
21 November 2012
- Memorial, Press Release, Foreign agent here (in Russian)
28 November 2012
- TV Rain, Interview with Lyudimila Alekseeva, Moscow Helsinki Group, (in Russian)
25 November 2012
- TV Rain, Interview with Oleg Orlov, Memorial’s chairman (in Russian)
21 November 2012
- BBC, Law on NGO-Foreign Agents Comes Into Force (in Russian)
20 November 2012
- Yabloko party site, Shame on Russia (in Russian)
- Council of Europe, Parliamentary Assembly, Human rights in the North Caucasus: what follow-up to Resolution 1738 (2010)?
14 November 2012
