The State Duma tightens 40 federal laws because of "foreign agents"

The State Duma of Russia adopted in the second reading amendments to 40 federal laws. All of them relate to the activities of individuals and the media entered in the register of the so -called foreign agents.

The rules for the spread of materials created by foreign agents are tightened. The marking of the "Inoagance" will have to accompany their materials not only by the media recognized by "foreign agents", but also by the media in which the “foreign agent” works. The text of the marking will also change, in the new edition it will be necessary to twice indicate the name or name of the person recognized by the "ino -agent".

It will also be forbidden to spread materials created by "foreign agents" among minors. According to the head of the Agora human rights organization, Pavel Chikov’s lawyer, many “foreign” materials will be equated with literature containing pornography or drug recipes.

The amendments concern the law "On Banks and Banking": the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation receives the right to demand certificates of accounts of all non -profit organizations, except for registered religious, as well as organizations recognized by foreign agents, and "individuals and legal entities if there are signs of foreign agents."

The Ministry of Justice receives the right to make information about the acts of the civil status of foreign agents from the registry office, the right to a request from the legal entities of the Inagents of information on beneficial owners (under the framework of amendments to the law on counteracting the proceeds received by criminal means and the financing of terrorism), and the right to ask any information about Banking authorities from the tax authorities accounts of "foreign agents". In addition, their bank accounts can no longer be insured.

“Ino -Agents” will be forbidden to engage in any pedagogical activity with minors (amendment to the law on education), conduct an anti -corruption examination, be organizers of public events (within the framework of the law on meetings, rallies, demonstrations, processions and pickets), serve in the army under the contract (within the framework of the law on the status of military personnel), be members of the election commissions, participate in Competitions and contracts for public procurement.

The amendments are also made to the law on the protection of children from information causing their health and development: from December 1, any information made by the "Ino -Agent" is prohibited for distribution among children. The last point, as the head of the Agora explains , is primarily related to printed materials. In places available to children, that is, in fact in all bookstores and kiosks, materials of foreign agents can only be distributed in sealed opaque packaging.

Even in a sealed form, they cannot be distributed in schools, children's sports and cultural organizations, as well as closer than 100 meters from such places according to the list compiled by local authorities. In libraries, employees will be able to demand a passport from visitors, and the materials themselves will have to be placed in separate rooms that are closed with a key, or on the shelves under the direct control of an employee of the library.

On December 1, the new law "On the control of the activities of persons under foreign influence" must also come into force. According to the document, an individual or organization that does not necessarily receive foreign financing, but also simply “in influence”, and the formulation of what to consider with foreign influence, is spelled out extremely vaguely, will be recognized as a foreign agent.

• The legislation on "foreign agents" in Russia appeared in 2012. The law allowed the Ministry of Justice to recognize non-profit organizations by “foreign agents” if they receive financing from abroad and are engaged in political activities. The criteria for which such activities are determined are not clearly defined in the law, which allows the authorities to persecute organizations working in the field of education, culture, healthcare, ecology, and the protection of human rights.
• Subsequently, it became possible to recognize the "in -agents" of the media and individuals.
• The Russian Ministry of Justice is now conducting four lists of “foreign agents” now, adding to them NPOs, journalists and public figures, who, according to the government, receive foreign financing and are political activities.