In Russia, Article 19 was added to the register of “undesirable organizations.” Information about this appeared on the website of the Ministry of Justice.
Article 19 is an international organization that specializes in protecting freedom of speech. It is registered in the UK.
In addition, the DOXA publication and the Russian Election Monitor project, which were previously declared “undesirable”, were added to the register. From the moment organizations are entered into the register, people may be subject to criminal and administrative liability for participating in the activities of “undesirable organizations.” The Ministry of Justice did not announce in advance that Article 19 was recognized as “undesirable”.
- Since 2015, according to Russian legislation , foreign or international organizations that, in the opinion of the authorities, pose a “threat to the foundations of the constitutional system of the Russian Federation, the defense capability of the country or the security of the state” can be recognized as “undesirable.” From 2021, organizations that cooperate with already recognized “undesirables” are also recognized as “undesirable.” Such organizations are prohibited from operating in the country, and a number of other restrictions are also imposed on them - for example, they are not allowed to distribute information materials in Russia. The decision on recognition is made by the Prosecutor General's Office in agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As of August 2023, there are more than 100 undesirable organizations on the Ministry of Justice register .
- For participation in the activities of an “undesirable organization,” administrative liability is provided (Article 20.33 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, maximum penalty - a fine of up to 15 thousand rubles for citizens), and with repeated participation, criminal liability (Part 1 of Article 284.1 of the Criminal Code, maximum penalty - imprisonment for up to four years). Article 284.1 also applies to financing or organizing the activities of an “undesirable” organization, in which case the punishment can be up to five and six years in prison, respectively.