Draft law blocking ‘foreign agents’ from accessing earnings in Russia expanded to include income from property sales, rentals, and deposits

The scope of a draft law requiring those designated as “foreign agents” by Russia to deposit their income into special accounts has been expanded to include earnings from renting or selling real estate and vehicles, as well as interest from bank deposits and dividends, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin announced.

“Those who betrayed our country should not profit from its citizens or use money earned in Russia against it,” Volodin wrote on his Telegram channel.

The bill is scheduled for its second reading on December 17.

Introduced on November 14, the draft law was framed as a measure to “protect state security and prevent foreign interference in Russia’s internal affairs,” according to its explanatory note. Initially, it applied only to income from intellectual property.

The law requires “foreign agents” to open a special ruble-denominated account that they can only access “once their status is revoked,” according to Volodin. The law also permits court-ordered transfers of these funds to the state budget.