The Ministry of Justice has added the American Center for Strategic and International Studies to the register of “undesirable organizations,” according to the updated list.
The Prosecutor General's Office made the decision to recognize the center as "undesirable" on June 11.
The analytical institute specializes in strategic analysis of political, economic and security issues around the world.
The Center was founded in 1962 in Washington, D.C., on the premises of Georgetown University. Since 1987, the organization has operated independently.
In addition, Dekoder — gGmbH, which was declared "undesirable" on May 30, was added to the list. Dekoder is an online platform dedicated to discussing public life in Europe, Belarus and Russia. The portal's materials are published in German and Russian.
- Since 2015, according to Russian law , foreign or international organizations that, in the opinion of the authorities, pose a “threat to the foundations of the constitutional order of the Russian Federation, the country’s defense capability, or state security” can be recognized as “undesirable.” Such organizations are prohibited from operating in the country, and a number of other restrictions are imposed on them — for example, they are not allowed to distribute information materials in Russia. The decision to recognize is made by the Prosecutor General’s Office in agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. More information about which organizations have been added to the list can be found in the OVD-Info project “ Inoteka .”
- Participation in the activities of an "undesirable organization" is subject to administrative liability (Article 20.33 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, the maximum penalty is a fine of up to 15 thousand rubles for citizens), and in case of repeated participation, criminal liability (Part 1 of Article 284.1 of the Criminal Code, the maximum penalty is imprisonment for up to four years). Article 284.1 is also applied for financing or organizing the activities of an "undesirable organization", in which case the punishment may be up to five and up to six years of imprisonment, respectively.
- The international human rights organization Amnesty International called the law on “undesirable organizations” a way to “denigrate independent NGOs, deprive them of funding, and impose harsh penalties on their members.” The law, according to human rights activists, is used “to combat dissent and stifle freedom of expression and independent civil society organizations in Russia.” The UN Human Rights Committee recommended that Russia repeal or revise the legislation on “undesirable organizations.”