Rosbalt has decided to liquidate due to problems related to its “foreign agent” status

The Rosbalt news agency has begun the liquidation process. The decision was made at the general meeting of shareholders of RS-Balt, in October 2021, by a "foreign agent". The reason for the liquidation was the economic problems that the "foreign agent" status entailed, "Lenizdat.ru".

recognized writes "We were designated as a foreign agent, we tried to achieve justice for two years, because we believed that it was wrong, dishonest, but to no avail. We cannot continue to exist, because we simply do not have the money to exist," Larisa Afonina, CEO of Rosbalt, told Lenizdat.ru. She explained that after being designated as a "foreign agent," the media outlet lost advertising revenue and grant money from the St. Petersburg government.

The reason for including Rosbalt in the register of foreign agent media for the Ministry of Justice was the lease of premises from it by the Sova center for holding a conference. Sova, in turn, was previously included in the register of non-profit organizations performing the functions of a foreign agent.

The Court found the decision of the Ministry of Justice to be legal.

admitted - At the end of December 2020, the State Duma amended the legislation on "foreign agents". According to the new clarifications, the status of "foreign agent" will be available to an individual engaged in political activities and receiving money for this from abroad. Another bill prohibits the dissemination of information from "foreign agents" in the media without a special mark. The tightening of legislation continued in and . adopted 2021 2022 - On December 1, 2022, the law "On control over the activities of persons under foreign influence" came into force, as well as numerous legislative amendments to the "foreign agent" regulation. You can read about the list of "affiliated persons", new registers and other innovations in the law on "foreign agents" in . analysis of OVD-Info - In February 2022, OVD-Info launched the project . We study the practice of applying laws on "foreign agents", talk about their impact on civil society and specific individuals, initiate discussions with experts and propose ways of possible changes. In December 2021, together with the Center for the Defense of Mass Media Rights, we began providing legal support to people and organizations that ended up on the registers of "foreign agents". "Inoteka"