Tear down these regulations! Dozens of newsrooms, nonprofits, charities, and education groups come together to demand the repeal of Russia’s draconian legislation on ‘foreign agents’

Newsrooms, NGOs, charities, and other public organizations and initiatives from around Russia have joined in support of a petition demanding the repeal of repressive legislation on “foreign agents.” More than 150 of the country’s most important groups have already endorsed the petition, and now you have the opportunity to show your support at Change.org, as well. You can sign the petition right here. Ending the Russian authorities’ assault on the free press is crucial to the nation’s future. 

This message (content) was created and (or) distributed by a foreign mass media outlet executing the functions of a foreign agent and (or) a Russian legal entity executing the functions of a foreign agent.

Since the start of 2021, Russia’s Justice Ministry has designated six newsrooms, 20 journalists, and seven NGOs as so-called foreign agents. These individuals and organizations joined a list of 221 other “foreign agents” added to the authorities’ registry between 2013 and 2020. We view these events as a government campaign to pressure Russia’s free press and public organizations, and we maintain that the “foreign agent” legislation itself and its enforcement measures are intended to weaken the institutions of Russian civil society. 

Openly discriminatory and unlawful, the law on “foreign agents” violates both Russia’s Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. 

The real impact of landing on Russia’s “foreign agent” registry is clear:

• Many organizations are forced to cease operations and dissolve. Others face the constant risk of audits and forced liquidation. The authorities adopt stricter and stricter regulations, which are deliberately designed to make full compliance impossible.
• “Foreign agents” also risk felony prosecution that can result in fines or even up to five years in prison. Earlier this summer, a judge already handed down one of these criminal sentences.
• Organizations risk multi-million-ruble fines and bankruptcy for the slightest regulatory violation (whether it concerns filing requirements that Justice Ministry experts can interpret liberally or rules on labeling “foreign agent” content). 
• News organizations lose ad revenue and information sources.
• NGOs face more and more restrictions, including a ban on nominating candidates for public monitoring commissions, conducting anti-corruption investigations, and organizing public events.
• So-called “individual foreign agents” are required to add a special warning about their status to each and every public statement (including posts and comments on social media) and report to the Russian authorities not just about their earnings but also every ruble they spend. This is an unprecedented invasion of privacy. Nothing justifies such demands. These requirements openly mock people and insult their dignity as human beings.
• This diminishes the rights of all Russians. The public’s access to independent sources of information is narrowing, and the organizations that help people are growing weaker.

Please consider signing the petition at Change.org right here.

Nine years ago, since lawmakers adopted the first version of Russia’s legislation on “foreign agents” in June 2012, the authorities have promised endlessly to revisit the law and correct its enforcement. Instead of rectification, however, the authorities have only strengthened and expanded the regulations. Today, the legislation applies not only to nonprofit organizations but also to newsrooms. Also, the law demands not just transparency reports and public labeling but also imposes direct prohibitions. “Foreign agency” isn’t even limited to organizations anymore. The Justice Ministry can now designate literally anyone in Russia as a “foreign agent.”

In addition to persecuting civic groups and newsrooms, it appears the authorities will turn their attention to educators, charities, and cultural institutions. In other words, the Justice Ministry and other federal agencies will begin targeting the initiatives that rely on the public, not the state, to sustain their work.

We harbor no illusions here, but we understand that there are times and situations where the only realistic option is to demand the impossible. Russia’s law on “foreign agents” must be repealed entirely.

We call on the news media, NGOs, charities, and other groups to join our demands. Write to us at [email protected].

As of September 14, 2021, these are the groups that have joined in calling for the repeal of Russia’s repressive legislation on “foreign agents”:

• The AdVita Fund
• Advokatskaya Ulitsa
• The Memorial Anti-Discrimination Center
• The Association of Communicators in Education and Science
• The Andrey Rylkov Foundation*
• Anton’s Right Here
• Case 212 Prisoners
• Arzamas Academy
• Arkhitekturnye Izlishestva
• The Association of Environmental Journalists of the Union of Journalists of Russia
• Baza
• The Side by Side International Film Festival
• The "Bureau of Regional Public and Environmental Campaigns” (BROC) Primorsky Public Organization
• Bumaga
• The Prisoners’ Rights Defense Foundation
• The “In Your Hands” Foundation
• iStories*
• Wonderzine
• Design Bureau Verstak
• Vesma Today
• The Village
• The Free Historical Society
• The Hematology and Intensive Care Foundation
• The Golos Movement*
• Gorky Media
• Hotline*
• The “Citizen and Army” Community of Human Rights Organizations
• Citizens Watch*
• Citizens’ Union*
• The Center for Civic Analysis and Independent Research (GRANI)
• Graini.ru
• The Humanitarian Action Foundation*
• The Dedmorozim Foundation
• The Children’s Hearts Foundation
• Discourse Journal
• Dissernet
• Dozhd Television*
• Doxa Journal
• The Lighthouse Charity Foundation
• The Samara Regional “House of Childhood” Public Volunteers’ Organization
• The “Dront” Ecological Center
• Eshe Ne Pozner
• The Life Route Foundation
• The Save a Life Foundation
• The For Human Rights Civic Human Rights Project
• Image Press Publishing
• The Peregoudov Publishing House
• Indigenous Russia
• InLiberty
• The Insider*
• PDI-Siberia*
• The “Iris” Khakassia Public Ecological Foundation
• Itʼs My City
• Kabelshchik
• The Caucasian Knot
• The “Warmth of Hearts” Fund for Assistance to Patients with Cystic Fibrosis
• KozaPress
• Colta.ru
• The Civic Assistance Committee*
• The Committee Against Torture
• Save Perchora
• The “Contact” Public Organization for Helping Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
• The “Krokhino” Charitable Center for Cultural Heritage Revival
• The “Kruzhok” Independent Project
• The Russian LGBT Network
• Les.Media
• The Liberal Mission Foundation
• Libo/Libo Studio
• The Little Life Foundation
• Mediazona
• Meduza*
• International “Memorial”*
• The International Socio-Ecological Union
• The Interregional Patients’ Organization for Primary Immunodeficiency
• The “Memorial” Human Rights Center*
• The Merchism Project
• The Moscow School of New Literature
• MOH Moscow
• The “No More Trash” Ecological Movement
• Moscow Helsinki Group
• Nash Sever
• The “Our Children” Foundation
• The Independent Medical Community
• Novyi Kachkanar
• Novyi Prospekt
• Nochlezhka
• Public Verdict*
• The Society of Scientists
• The Society of Assistance to the Tarusa Hospital Foundation
• OVD.Info
• The “Special City” Nonprofit
• Open Space
• Parni Plus
• Penza Online
• The Picketman Project
• The “Podari Zhizn” Charity Foundation
• The Last Address Civic Initiative
• The Human Rights Council of St. Petersburg
• The Journalists’ and Media Workers’ Union
• Gubernia Media
• The Moscow PEN Center
• Revda-Info
• Republic
• ROMB
• Roskomsvoboda
• The Russian Research Center for Human Rights*
• The Russian Socio-Ecological Union
• Russia Behind Bars*
• The St. Petersburg PEN Club
• The Sakharov Center*
• FreeNews-Volga
• The Silver Rose Movement
• The “SIBALT” Center for Health and Social Support*
• The “Skazhi Gordeevoi” Show
• The SOVA Center for Information and Analysis*
• The “We’re in This Together” Center
• Spektr Press
• The “Stimul” Moscow LGBT Initiative Group
• Souffrant Mittelalter
• The “Sutyazhnik” Human Rights Organization in Yekaterinburg*
• The “Sfera” Human Rights Foundation*
• Tayga.Info
• TV2
• The Tak-Tak-Tak Foundation*
• The “Krug” Creative Association Foundation
• We Believe You
• TVK Krasnoyarsk
• Greenhouse of Technologies for Social Good
• Tekhniki Rechi Studio
• Transparency International — R*
• TRV Science
• The “Ulukitkan” Amur Ecological Club
• The “Phoenix PLUS” Nonprofit Organization*
• Urban Animal
• The Khabinsky Foundation
• Holod Media
• The Mass Media Defence Center*
• The Center for Independent Social Research*
• The Center for the Development of Democracy and Human Rights
• The Center for the Development of Nonprofit Organizations*
• The Center for Assistance to International Protection
• The Center for Criminal Justice Reform
• Chernovik
• The “Fourth Sector” Union of Journalists*
• The “Conscript School” Human Rights Organization
• The Eco Defense Foundation
• The “42” Environmental Movement
• The “EcoLaw” Nonprofit for Environmental Protection
• The iZnanka Nonprofit Organization
• Ekho Moskvy
• Vecherniy

*Russia’s Justice Ministry has designated these organizations as “foreign agents.”

Sign the petition at Change.org!