Brussels, 24/03/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 24 March, the European Union stated that it expected the Russian government to suspend the practice of branding Russian NGOs as “foreign agents”, and that it expected the Russian government to comply with its international obligations and to apply the relevant international human rights standards.
The previous day the Sakharov Center was fined 300,000 roubles (€4,700) by the Russian legal authorities for not being registered as a “foreign agent” because it receives financing from abroad.
“The EU will follow the appeal against this decision and against this fine closely”, Maja Kocijancic, a spokesperson for High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, told EUROPE. This decision by the Russian legal authorities “again confirms continued pressure on Russian civil society and human rights organisations. The number of Russian NGOs labelled as 'foreign agents' has increased dramatically over the last months”, Kocijancic added. The register of “foreign agent” NGOs now includes 49 NGOs - compared with 24 at the end of December. “These developments affect the state of fundamental freedoms of association and expression in Russia”, Kocijancic added.
On 28 December, the EU criticised the inclusion of the Sakharov Center on the register of “foreign agents”.
Kocijancic stated that the EU would continue to support civil society in Russia. In 2015, €3 million will be available through the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights, and €4 million will be available (for a period of 4 years) through the civil society instrument. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)