The Ministry of Justice has recognized the publication BILD na russkogo and political scientist Ilya Matveyev as "foreign agents." Information about this appeared in the updated register on the department's website.
Officials also traditionally indicated the “reasons” for adding individuals to the register.
"BILD na russkogo" is the Russian-language editorial office of the German publication BILD. According to the Ministry of Justice, the editorial office spread "fakes" about decisions made by public authorities and their policies, and also discredited the Russian armed forces. Also, the department writes, the editorial office opposed the war in Ukraine and took part in the creation of materials by "foreign agents".
Ilya Matveyev is a political scientist and philosopher. Matveyev teaches political science at the online project "New School of Political Science" and also publishes columns in various independent publications. The Ministry of Justice considered that Matveyev also spread "fakes" about government bodies, spoke out against the war, and participated in the creation of "foreign agent" materials. In addition, the department claims that he is participating in a project previously recognized as a "foreign agent" and participated as a respondent on a platform organized by a certain "undesirable organization."
- 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 the "foreign agent" regulation. You can read about who and on what grounds are recognized as "foreign agents", what restrictions these people and organizations face, as well as what risks those who interact with them bear in our report .
- In December 2022, Vladimir Putin also signed a law on imprisonment for "foreign agents" who were held accountable twice in one year under an administrative article on violating the procedure for the activities of a "foreign agent" (Article 19.34 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). More than 10 cases have already been opened under the criminal article on evading the duties of a "foreign agent" (Part 2 of Article 330.1 of the Criminal Code) : for example, rapper Oksimiron and feminist activist Daria Serenko were put on the wanted list under it .
- In the fall of 2021, OVD-Info launched the Inoteka project . We study the practice of applying laws on "foreign agents", talk about their impact on civil society and specific people, initiate discussions with experts and propose ways of possible changes. In December 2021, together with the Center for the Protection of Media Rights, we began providing legal support to people and organizations that ended up on the registers of "foreign agents".
- As of January 18, 2024, there are 756 "foreign agents" in the register, including individuals and organizations. Starting in 2022, the list will be expanded more actively: in 2021, 110 individuals and projects became "foreign agents", in 2022 - 188, and in 2023 - already 227. If earlier the instrument of recognition as a "foreign agent" was primarily aimed at journalists, media and human rights activists, now this status has been extended to representatives of other spheres. The list of reasons for inclusion in the register has also expanded : the Ministry of Justice officially admits that it uses the law to persecute people who speak out against the war. As of January 11, 2024, at least 199 "foreign agents" have been excluded from the registers - however, their personal data will remain on the list even after exclusion.