In Kostroma, they recognized the "agent" of the regional committee of soldiers' mothers

The deputy prosecutor of Kostroma, Alexander Smirnov, recognized the regional committee of soldiers' mothers with a foreign agent, since the organization, receiving funding from the United States, allegedly participated in election observations. This was reported by an open news agency with reference to the head of the NGO Irina Reznikova. Smirnov demanded that the committee apply for the inclusion of foreign agents in the register, threatening up to 500 thousand rubles.

According to the deputy prosecutor, the organization "exceeded the limits of its statutory goals", having begun to report violations during the Duma and presidential election campaigns, as well as in the process of election proper. “Purposefully acting on the formation of the image of election commissions,” Smirnov concluded, the committee is involved in the formation of public opinion about the pursuing state policy, ”and therefore in political activity.

Reznikova noted that the organization’s employees participated in observation in personal quality. In addition, she added, the committee is charged with the guilt of action committed before the adoption of the law on "foreign agents".

“This is an unheard of business and a direct violation of the Russian Constitution,” Ramil Akhmetgaliev, lawyer of the Agora Association, who will represent the interests of the Committee, commented on the news. “The prosecutor's office is trying to give the law on foreign agents retroactive power.” The lawyer recalled the position of the Ministry of Justice, who had previously repeatedly stated that the law on "foreign agents" has no retroactive force and is applicable only to legal relations arising from November 21, 2012.

The day before, the Kostroma prosecutor Vladimir Smirnov recognized the “foreign agent” of the Kostroma Center for the Support of Public Initiatives. Against the center and its executive director Alexander Zamaryanov, administrative affairs were initiated under Part 1 of Article 19.34 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (violation of the procedure for the NPO, which performs the functions of a foreign agent). Zamaryanov faces a fine of up to 300 thousand rubles, the center - up to 500 thousand.

The main complaints of the prosecutor caused the organization’s round table about the prospects of “rebooting”, in which the US Embassy official took part, dedicated. Thus, Smirnov concluded, the center is participating "in the formation of public opinion about the state policy." And since the NPO at the same time receives foreign financing, the prosecutor noted, it meets the criteria of the "foreign agent". Based on this, he initiated the case for the fact that the center did not submit an application for inclusion in the appropriate register.