The Russian Ministry of Justice has declared deputy Boris Vishnevsky, lawyer Vadim Prokhorov and the First Department to be “foreign agents”

The Russian Ministry of Justice has updated the register of “foreign agents,” adding to it Boris Vishnevsky, a deputy of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg, and Vadim Prokhorov, a lawyer who represented the interests of Boris Nemtsov’s family in the case of the politician’s murder.

The ministry's statement said that Vishnevsky "participated as a respondent on information platforms provided by foreign media and foreign agents, and spoke out against a special military operation in Ukraine."

Prokhorov, as the Ministry of Justice stated, “disseminated false information about decisions made by public authorities of the Russian Federation and the policies they pursue.”

The human rights project "First Department" was also included in the register of "foreign agents." The ministry stated that the project "opposed the special military operation in Ukraine" and "disseminated information that facilitated the provision of financial support to Ukraine and organizations whose activities were deemed undesirable on the territory of the Russian Federation."

In addition, the Ministry of Justice excluded the non-governmental educational institution “Human Rights Academy” from the list of “foreign agents” in connection with its liquidation.

• In addition to the Nemtsov family, Vadim Prokhorov defended politicians Vladimir Kara-Murza and Ilya Yashin . In April 2023, Prokhorov left Russia because he was threatened with criminal charges.
• Vishnevsky is a member of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg, deputy chairman of the Yabloko party and one of the most famous opposition politicians in the city.
• Lawyers of the human rights project "First Department" provide assistance in closed trials: cases of treason, espionage, illegal receipt and disclosure of state secrets, as well as administrative and civil cases. The project was created in 2021 by lawyer Ivan Pavlov and former employees of the lawyers' association "Team 29".