The State Duma will again tighten legislation against “foreign agents”

The State Duma will soon begin to consider a bill that will strengthen control over the finances of “foreign agents.” Speaker of Parliament Vyacheslav Volodin announced this.

Now banks, at the request of the Ministry of Justice, are required to provide information about the accounts, deposits and transactions of “foreign agents,” but they do this on paper. The new law should simplify and speed up this process.

The initiative involves a transition to electronic data exchange. The Ministry of Justice will be able to request information about accounts and money transfers of “foreign agents” in digital format, and banks and government agencies will be required to transmit such information within three working days.

“This will increase control over the monetary transactions of foreign agents, as well as promptly respond to their violations of the law,” Volodin said.

Pursuit of “foreign agents”

The concept of “foreign agent” appeared in Russian legislation in 2012 and initially applied only to non-profit organizations. Over time, the law was expanded many times. Now almost anyone can be recognized as “foreign agents”: journalists, bloggers, human rights activists, scientists, artists, activists and even ordinary citizens - including without the fact of receiving money from abroad. It is enough, for example, to cooperate with foreign media, participate in international projects, or simply “be under foreign influence,” which is interpreted extremely vaguely.

In practice, the status of a “foreign agent” is used as a tool of pressure and stigmatization. The authorities apply it primarily to critics of the regime, independent media and civil activists. Being included in the register means constant monitoring, additional reports, fines and work restrictions. “Foreign agents” are required to mark almost all of their publications with a special postscript, and errors or lack of marking are subject to large fines and criminal cases.

The persecution of “foreign agents” is systemic. People are fined for posts on social networks, for old materials, for reposts, for speeches without the necessary labeling. Organizations' financial activities are complicated, accounts are blocked, and they are deprived of the opportunity to receive grants and cooperate with partners. Many media outlets and NGOs were forced to close or leave the country.

This allows the authorities not only to restrict freedom of speech and civic activity, but also to intimidate others: the status can be assigned at any time and with virtually no opportunity to challenge it in court.