Russia’s upper house on Wednesday approved a controversial bill that brands NGOs that receive funding from abroad as “foreign agents”, a law activists fear the Kremlin will use to target critics. The Federation Council, seen as a rubber-stamping body, overwhelmingly backed the bill with 141 votes for, one opposing and one abstaining on its last session before the summer break. The broadly worded bill says that non-governmental organisations have to register as foreign agents if they take part in “political activities in Russia, including in the interests of their foreign sources.” Those who fail to register face fines of up to 300,000 rubles ($9,000) and could have its members jailed for up to two years. The bill defines political activities as those aimed at “influencing decisions by state organs, aimed at changing government policies… and also in forming public opinion with those aims.” “He who pays the piper calls the tune,” said Senator Konstantin Tsybko during the debate. The bill covers NGOs that receive money or property from foreign countries, whether from government agencies, organisations or private citizens. Critics have argued that the term “foreign agent” implies spying for a foreign government and would harm the image of many human rights and environmental groups working in Russia.
