On Friday 16 December, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS) asked the Russian authorities to stop the practice of describing Russian NGOs as "foreign agents", as well as all resulting administrative harassment. The call from the EEAS followed a Moscow court's confirmation the same day of Russia's inclusion of the Memorial International Society on its list of "foreign agents".
"The European Union has repeatedly stated that the law on 'foreign agents' and the ensuing fines, inspections and stigmatisation, further tighten the restrictions on the exercise of fundamental freedoms in Russia, consume the scarce resources of NGOs and inhibit independent civil society in the country", the EEAS spokesperson says in a press release. In force since 2012, the register of "foreign agent" NGOs now includes 148 Russian NGOs, with 8 of these being affiliated to Memorial. "The work of the different Memorial branches, which together form the biggest and oldest network of NGOs, has been and continues to be of the utmost importance for the promotion of human rights in Russia and the preservation of its historical memory", the EEAS spokesperson adds.
The spokesperson also calls on the Russian authorities to align their policies and legislation with the human rights obligations and commitments that they have undertaken. The spokesperson adds that "despite existing difficulties", the EU is committed to continuing its support for Russian NGOs and civil society. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)