The Ministry of Justice entered the register of "foreign agents" two more NPO Lev Ponomarev

Updated (12:43)

Lev Ponomarev, whose organizations were introduced to the register of “foreign agents” told “MBH Media” that he would not appeal this decision.

“Yes, most likely, I will not appeal the decision, since this is hopeless. Previously, I tried not to receive foreign financing, but now, probably, I will submit to foreign grants, ”the human rights activist said.

The Ministry of Justice entered the register of “foreign agents” two more non -profit organizations of human rights activist Leo Ponomarev.

The department’s website reports that the register included the Foundation “In Defense of the Rights of Prisoners” and the regional public organization of promoting compliance with human rights “Hot Line”.

The day before, the Ministry of Industry included the movement of Lev Ponomarev “For Human Rights” to the list of foreign agents.

According to Ponomarev, the reason for making movement in the list of “foreign agents” may be the receipt of foreign money NPO “Hot Line”. Ponomarev leads three organizations - “For Human Rights”, the Foundation “In Protecting the Rights of Prisoners” and NPO “Goryachny Line”. The first two, Ponomarev said, do not receive foreign money, and NPO receives money from the UN committee against torture.

“Now they (the Ministry of Justice) note that the“ hot line ”is the separation of the“ for human rights ”movement, it really was part of the movement for some time. But then the Ministry of Justice himself said that an organization with a separate charter cannot be a separation of movement, ”said Ponomarev.

So, according to the human rights activist, in 2018, the “hot line” received 500 thousand rubles from the French Embassy and 40 thousand dollars on a grant from the UN. The project was aimed at fighting torture in Russian correctional institutions.

“I understood that sooner or later it would end. What the presidential grants give is disastrously lacking for the work of these organizations. We have probably two times less salaries than on average in Moscow, ”said Ponomarev.

“I am trying to openly interact with the authorities, I do it. But apparently someone does not want to admit this in power, ”the human rights activist added.

In mid -January, the Ministry of Justice began an unscheduled audit "For Human Rights". Ponomarev said that SERB activists were the initiators of the inspection of the Ministry of Justice, who wrote a denunciation for human rights defenders.

“Human Rights Movement” have already been included in the list of “foreign agents” in December 2014. A year later, he was excluded from there.