By Kurbsky

The American non -profit organizations of the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute, who closed the departments in Russia at the end of last year, took out Russians working with their families to Lithuania. According to Kommersant with reference to NPO employees, the heads of organizations feared the political persecution of their colleagues. Seven full -time employees went abroad, including the heads of branches Tamerlan Kurbanov and Natalia Budaeva. The NDI in Russia only remained an accountant working by proxy, however, as the interlocutor of the publication said, the leadership of the institute fears for his fate.

IRI plans to evacuate employees from Russia were reported at the end of December. The head of the IRI Senator John McCain explained such a step tightening the Russian legislation on NPOs, which he regarded the revenge of the Russian authorities for the Law of Magnitsky. The main reason for concern was the adoption of amendments to the articles of the Criminal Code on state treason and espionage in the fall of 2012. Now, a person who has "carried out consulting assistance to a foreign organization" may threaten up to 20 years in prison if it is possible to prove that this structure was engaged in "activities directed against the security of the Russian Federation." After the adoption of amendments, the heads of branches began to constantly visit the FSB officers. According to the NPO employees, they hinted that the new law on the Stateismman admits a wide interpretation, which you can use if desired.

Now the Russians who worked in NDI and IRI are in Vilnius. According to employees, Lithuania may refuse to work in labor visas so as not to complicate relations with Russia - the gas supplier. In this case, they do not exclude that they will ask for political asylum in other EU countries.

In Russia, both institutes have been working since the beginning of the 1990s. They provided consulting services, organized practical seminars and thematic conferences. NDI conducted exchange programs for deputies, political and public leaders, and arranged introductory visits to the United States by employees of regional authorities. Since 2000, the NDI collaborated with the Voice Association, teaching its activists to observe the election. IRI implemented in Russia programs to attract young people to politics, led training programs for political parties. At the same time, the representatives of the institutions did not give out grants and did not lead any other financial programs. In IRI, the former State Duma deputy from United Russia, political analyst Sergei Markov, worked as a senior scientific consultant for 10 years. "It was an important experience in teaching political technologies, most successful Russian political technologists went through NDI and IRI programs," he told the publication.

The US Embassy in Moscow stated that they know about the problems of American NPOs in Russia. Diplomats noted that they are "still concerned about a number of recently adopted laws and taken steps, which resulted in restrictions on Russian civil society."