Russian Ministry of Justice on April 14 again update a unified register of foreign agents maintained on its official website. The list includes comedian and showman Semyon Slepakov*, journalists Igor Yakovenko* and Pavel Kanygin*, director Pavel Muntyan*.
In addition, the list includes the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace*, the Agency publication*, the Polygon online publication* and the Rainbow Association*.
The Ministry of Justice also excluded from the register of foreign agents the autonomous non-profit organization “Center for the conservation and study of salmon species and their habitats” * and the regional public organization “Sakhalin Environmental Watch “* in connection with the liquidation of the two.
Regarding the inclusion of new defendants on the list, the ministry gave the following explanations:
Slepakov* received support from foreign sources, spoke out against the military operation in Ukraine, “formed a negative attitude towards military service and public service in general” and “spoke negatively about the citizens” of Russia . The message from the Ministry of Justice emphasizes that the showman lives outside the country. Yakovenko*, according to the department, “called for a struggle against the current state authorities”, opposed the military operation, “participated in the creation and distribution of equipment of foreign agents to an unlimited circle of people”, and also, like Slepakov *, “formed a negative attitude towards military service and civil service in general. Muntyan* is on the record for denouncing the military operation, distributing equipment from foreign agents and raising funds to support Ukraine. Kanygin*, according to the Ministry of Justice, distributed documents from foreign agents and an unwanted non-governmental organization, and also spoke out against the military operation in Ukraine and “discredited the activities” of the armed forces Russians.
The previous registry replenishment was a week ago on April 7. Then the Ministry of Justice put journalist Arkady Babchenko* and the limited liability company Khroniker* on the list. Before that, the register was replenished on March 31, when the group’s soloist “Nogu knocked down!” Maxim Pokrovsky*, MP for Novosibirsk Sergey Boyko*, journalist and former chairman of the Union of Journalists of Karelia Georgy Chentemirov*, as well as the project “Greenhouse of Social Technologies”*, the public association “Alliance of Heterosexuals and LGBT for Equality “* and the charity organization “Real Russia” *.
Unified register of foreign agents
The concept of “foreign agent” was introduced into Russian law after the 2012 protests, in relation to non-profit organizations (NPOs) engaged in political activities and receiving foreign funding.
Subsequently, this status began to be granted to natural persons, legal persons and unregistered organizations. In 2022, the law was strengthened, prohibiting citizens and registered organizations from teaching and producing information products, organizing public events, and joining election commissions. In addition, the criteria for recognition as a foreign agent have changed – the opinion of the Ministry of Justice on “foreign influence” has become sufficient for this.
From the end of 2022, instead of four different lists of foreign agents, the Ministry of Justice maintains a single register, which already includes more than 550 people and organizations.
- recognized in Russia as a foreign agent
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