Russian State Duma adopts law banning involvement in ‘undesirable organizations’

The Russian State Duma has adopted in the third and final reading a law banning Russian citizens and legal entities from involvement in the work of “undesirable organizations” around the world.

The legislation also allows for any foreign or international NGO to be designated as “undesirable,” if it helped transfer money or other assets to an organization that is already on this blacklist. 

These provisions will come into force 10 days after the official publication of the law. 

In addition, the law allows Rosfinmonitoring (Russia’s state financial watchdog) to monitor all money transfers to nonprofit organizations. An exception has been made for government agencies, state corporations, educational institutions, homeowners’ associations (HOAs), gardening and horticultural associations, and consumer cooperatives, among a number of others groups.

The law also allows Rosfinmonitoring to track money transfers to citizens and legal entities from other countries, “the list of which is approved by the competent authority,” the document says. Which countries will be included on the list remains unknown. 

The provisions of the law regarding money transfers will come into force on October 1, 2021.