On June 11, the State Duma passed a bill in its initial reading that would allow the declaration of not only non-governmental organizations but also any foreign organizations, including those with ties to other countries’ state bodies, as undesirable in Russia. This bill also includes amendments to the Criminal Code and the Code of Administrative Offenses regarding participation in undesirable organizations.
Legal expert Grigory Mashanov, speaking to The Insider, suggested that this law is primarily targeting media outlets with foreign state involvement:
“The main goal of this law is to expand the list to include state media like BBC and Deutsche Welle, preventing their content from being shared or referenced. Being labeled as undesirable means Russian citizens are prohibited from any interaction with the organization, including quoting their materials. This could also affect state donors such as USAID, as currently, receiving funds from them is not explicitly prohibited, even if they don’t operate in Russia.”
Sarkis Darbinyan, co-founder of the “Roskomsvoboda” project, mentioned to The Insider that this bill broadens the scope of individuals who could face penalties under laws related to undesirable organizations:
“By removing the term ‘non-governmental,’ any foreign or international organization, regardless of jurisdiction, participants, or legal structure, can now be deemed undesirable and banned. This has the potential to…
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