A protocol was drawn up against politician Lev Shlosberg under the article about the absence of a “foreign agent” sign (Part 4 of Article 19.34 of the Administrative Code). This was reported by Pskov Province.
Ex-deputy of the Pskov regional assembly and head of the Pskov branch of the Yabloko party, Shlosberg, was added to the register of “foreign agents” in July 2022. In its decision, the Ministry of Justice then indicated that the politician opposed the war in Ukraine, published materials from other “foreign agents,” and also “disseminated false information about the decisions taken by public authorities of the Russian Federation and the policies pursued by them.”
The Ministry of Justice never indicated that Schlosberg received any financial or other assistance from foreign organizations or persons associated with them. “We have received all the confirmation that the only basis for including me in the register of ‘foreign agents’ is my legitimate political activity,” the politician concluded.
- The legislation on “foreign agents” is becoming stricter every year. 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 “foreign agency” regulation. You can read about the list of “affiliated persons”, new registers and other innovations in the law on “foreign agents” in the analysis of OVD-Info .
- In addition, Vladimir Putin signed a law on imprisonment for a term of up to five years for “foreign agents” who were brought to justice twice in a year for violating the procedure for the activities of a “foreign agent” (Article 19.34 of the Administrative Code).
- In the fall of 2021, OVD-Info launched the Inoteka project . We explore the practice of applying laws on “foreign agents”, talk about their impact on civil society and specific people, initiate discussions with experts and suggest ways of possible changes. In December 2021, together with the Center for the Protection of Media Rights, we began to provide legal support to people and organizations that were included in the registers of “foreign agents.”