The Ministry of Justice of Russia included the Tomsk regional public organization “Women’s Voice”, which is engaged in the protection of women’s rights, in the list of NGO-foreign agents. The relevant information appeared on May 27 on the department’s website.
“Women’s Voice”, according to information published on the website, provides legal, socio-psychological assistance to women in the Tomsk region, and also assists in solving problems related to family, motherhood and childhood.
Earlier, on May 20, the Russian Ministry of Justice entered the former owner of Yukos, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, and the politician, world chess champion Garry Kasparov, into the register of individuals-foreign agents.
Prior to this, on May 6, the Russian rap artist Alisher Morgenstern was included in the register of individuals – foreign agents. In addition, the list of media-foreign agents has also been updated. Among others, it included Lyubov Sobol, Vladimir Milov and Leonid Gozman.
On April 25, deputy Vasily Piskarev announced that a draft law summarizing the norms of laws on foreign agents had been submitted to the State Duma. It was developed by a parliamentary commission to investigate the facts of interference by foreign states in the internal affairs of Russia. It clarifies the concepts of “foreign agent”, “foreign influence”, “foreign source”, “political figure”, determines who can be recognized as a foreign agent, and also determines the procedure for inclusion and exclusion from the register.
Earlier in the day, parliamentarian Maria Butina said a new bill would allow foreign agents to refrain from labeling personal publications and materials not related to their activities as a foreign agent.