Russia’s NGO regulatory law claims another victim
A Russian NGO had its appeal to overturn the government’s ruling that it must dissolve thrown out of court this week, the Coalition for Democracy in Russia has reported. Sodeystvie (translation: “Assistance”), which helps refugees and forced migrants integrate into society, was found to be non-compliant with the ultra strict (and equally controversial) 2006 law regulating NGOs.
Critics call the law a front for government officials bent on extending broad powers meant to “weaken critical voices.” Oversight of groups who receive foreign funding is particularly stifling, as I alluded to in this earlier post. Groups can be dissolved for filing documentation “improperly,” a distinction so intentionally vague it includes typos.
The 2006 NGO law and it’s implications are likely to be recurring topics on this blog…it’s another example of how Russia’s boldness in what the West considers highly dubious moves towards authoritarianism are snowballing and really starting to impact Russian society.
A report by Human Rights Watch has probably the most thorough critique of the mandate and documentation of its effects thus far. So you get the gist of it, here’s the opening statement:
Over the past eight years, the Russian government under President Vladimir Putin has engaged in efforts to weaken beyond recognition the checks and balances inherent in a truly democratic political system. A recent aspect of these efforts has been a policy to subject Russia’s vibrant civil society to greater scrutiny and control, through a 2006 law that gives the government broad powers to regulate the activities of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). The government has also used other measures, such as the amended 2002 anti-extremism law and a variety of administrative regulations, to target organizations that work on controversial issues, may be capable of galvanizing public dissent, or that receive foreign funding. This report documents the corrosive impact the 2006 law and other government measures have had on civil society in Russia. It demonstrates how these policies are aimed at weakening critical voices in Russia and have profoundly undermined independent activism.
April 26th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
[...] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptA Russian NGO had its appeal to overturn the government’s ruling that it must dissolve thrown out of court this week, the Coalition for Democracy in Russia has reported. Sodeystvie (translation: “Assistance”), which helps refugees and … [...]