Human Rights Council and Journalists’ Union submit amendments to Russia’s ‘foreign agent’ legislation

Representatives of the Russian Union of Journalists and the Presidential Human Rights Council have prepared amendments to Russia’s “foreign agent” legislation and submitted them to lawmaker Alexander Khintsein, the head of the State Duma Committee on Informational Policy.

Human Rights Council member Eva Merkacheva told Interfax on Tuesday, November 16, that the proposed amendments include a “right to make a mistake,” which would give NGOS and individuals three months to eliminate the claims on the basis of which the authorities intend to label them “foreign agents.”

In addition, the Human Rights Council has proposed not requiring individuals designated as “foreign agents” to include a disclaimer about their status when sharing “personal information,” such as photos, posts about their private lives, and comments on social media.

“We would also like that money for student, cultural exchanges, advanced training programs, [and] seminars, not to be recognized as a reason for inclusion in the registry of foreign agents,” Merkacheva noted.

In turn, the Union of Journalists proposed that the capacity to recognize organizations and individuals as “foreign agents” be transferred to the courts, explained union leader Vladimir Solovyev.

“In principle, we all support all of the proposed amendments and believe that the situation needs to be changed, because practically every journalist and every media outlet can end up in this situation, as there are gaps in the law. Going forward, it’s up to the legislators to decide,” Solovyev added.

Members of the Human Rights Council also intend to discuss the need to amend Russia’s “foreign agent” legislation at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, scheduled for December 10.

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