Russian lawmakers approve harsh rules for election monitors, NGOs

By Kathy Lally, Published: July 13

MOSCOW — Russia’s parliament adopted a law Friday imposing stringent new requirements on election monitors, human rights groups and other politically active organizations that receive foreign money.

The law, which was passed 374 to 3 by the Duma, or lower house, on the last day before a parliamentary recess, requires the groups to register as foreign agents and submit to exhaustive audits. The upper house is expected to approve it.

Action against nongovernmental organizations has been widely seen as inevitable since November, when Vladimir Putin, then prime minister, gave a nationally televised address describing such activists as traitors and excoriating the United States — which provides extensive support to democracy-building groups here — without quite naming it.

“They would do better to use that money to redeem their national debt and stop pursuing their costly and ineffective foreign policy,” Putin said, referring to the United States.

Russia has received more than $2.6 billion from the U.S. Agency for International Development since 1992, allocated for social and economic development.

The agency has proposed spending about $52 million here during 2013, the bulk of it — nearly $32 million — going to democracy and human rights organizations. But about $9 million is intended for peace and security programs and $11 million for health and environmental projects. Those programs, overseen by Russian government agencies or with a government stake, were exempted from the new law in an amendment ordered this week by Putin, who is now president of Russia.

Russian activists and liberal leaders have argued strenuously against the law, to no avail. So have U.N. officials and the United States.

“Civil society organizations should be entitled to foreign funding to the same extent as governments are entitled to international assistance,” Maina Kiai, the U.N. special rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, said Thursday in Geneva.

This week, Patrick Ventrell, a State Department spokesman, said the United States had conveyed “deep concern” to Russia after the Duma approved the first reading of the bill July 6. “We believe that people everywhere should enjoy the same fundamental freedoms and universal human rights,” he told reporters in Washington.

The bill also requires NGOs to label any materials or literature they distribute as the work of a foreign agent, a phrase tantamount to “spy” to the Russian ear.

Putin employed harsh anti-U.S. rhetoric during his campaign for the presidency, and he has returned sporadically to that theme since his inauguration in May. His critics say he has always relied on the specter of a threat beyond Russia’s borders to rally the nation behind him.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russian-lawmakers-approves-harsh-rules-on-election-monitors-ngos/2012/07/13/gJQAigSdhW_story.html

I think this story belongs here. Let's hope China are taking equal measures to stem the onslaught of Zionist regime change.

Putin Signs Defamation Law

President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a bill that drastically raises penalties for defamation.

The measure, which Putin approved on Monday, raises fines for slander and libel to up to 5 million rubles ($150,000) or 480 hours of community service.

Critics say the new law is the government's latest effort to staunch a flood of anti-government activism that began after State Duma elections in December.


Read more: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news_in_brief/article/putin-signs-defamation-law/462888.html#ixzz22CD7mOtl
The Moscow Times

The bill also requires NGOs to label any materials or literature they distribute as the work of a foreign agent, a phrase tantamount to “spy” to the Russian ear.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russian-lawmakers-approves-harsh-rules-on-election-monitors-ngos/2012/07/13/gJQAigSdhW_story.html

Russians have not lost their ability to detect propaganda, whereas Americans are easily herded off the cliffs by the likes of FOX News and Pastor John Hagee.

I think this story belongs here. Let's hope China are taking equal measures to stem the onslaught of Zionist regime change.

Putin Signs Defamation Law

President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a bill that drastically raises penalties for defamation.

The measure, which Putin approved on Monday, raises fines for slander and libel to up to 5 million rubles ($150,000) or 480 hours of community service.

Critics say the new law is the government's latest effort to staunch a flood of anti-government activism that began after State Duma elections in December.


Read more: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news_in_brief/article/putin-signs-defamation-law/462888.html#ixzz22CD7mOtl
The Moscow Times

Vladimir Putin sent many Jewish oligarchs packing to Great Britain, Israel and one to Siberia, but now these same Jews are using NGOs to undermine Russia. NGOs have access to unlimited goyim money as the same folks own the Fed.

Vladimir Putin sent many Jewish oligarchs packing to Great Britain, Israel and one to Siberia, but now these same Jews are using NGOs to undermine Russia. NGOs have access to unlimited goyim money as the same folks own the Fed.

Russia accused the United States on Wednesday of using its aid mission in Moscow to try to influence Russian politics and the outcome of elections, a day after Washington announced Moscow had ordered the mission's closure.

The U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, has spent more than $2.7 billion in the two decades since the fall of the Soviet Union, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters Tuesday as she announced the closure, adding that it had planned to spend $50 million this year.

In a statement Wednesday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Moscow had serious questions over the operations of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Russia's regions, especially in the North Caucasus where Russia is fighting a persistent Islamist insurgency.

"It's about attempts to influence political processes, including elections of various types, and institutions of civil society though the distribution of grants," the statement said, according to Reuters.

On Tuesday, Nuland said that while USAID would leave Russia “we remain committed to supporting democracy, human rights, and the development of a more robust civil society in Russia, and we look forward to continuing our close cooperation with Russian non-governmental organizations.”

She added that USAID had worked over the years with the Russian government to “fight AIDS there, fight tuberculosis, help orphans, help the disabled, combat trafficking, support Russian programs in the environmental area, wildlife protection.”

“So it is our hope that Russia will now, itself, assume full responsibility and take forward all of this work that we were proud to do together so that the Russian people continue to have the benefit,” she said.

'Rich enough'?
Asked if the Russian government had expressed “specific points of dissatisfaction with USAID’s work” or had simply said “We’re rich enough, we don’t need it?”, Nuland said she would let the Russians “characterize their motivations.” But she added that “I would say it tends to trend toward the latter, their sense that they don’t need this anymore.”


Russia police investigate democracy protest by toys

USAID's ordered departure comes amid a broader crackdown on Russian civil society groups after fraud-tainted parliamentary election last year prompted massive anti-government protests.

President Vladimir Putin blamed Washington for trying to destabilize Russia and accused Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton for signaling the start of demonstrations.


Thousands of democracy campaigners protest in Russia

Steven Pifer, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine who is now at the Brookings Institution think tank, told Reuters that he believed the decision on USAID reflected some reluctance by the Russian government to see foreign support for pro-democracy efforts in the country.

"They see AID's efforts in Russia as being a prime funder of the NGOs that are concerned about their elections and concerned about the regression of democracy in Russia," Pifer said.

He said the Russian government may also be "trying to make it more difficult" for the outside world to support pro-democracy NGOs in Russia.


Russia a 'great power'
Matthew Rojansky, of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told Reuters that Russian authorities "have made clear for the better part of a decade that they see Russia as a great power and a provider of assistance, not a recipient."

"Add to that tension over the pre- and post-election protests, which the Kremlin alleges were orchestrated by U.S.-funded NGOs (non-governmental organizations), plus the deep disagreement over U.S. democracy-promotion activities in the Middle East, and you can see why Russia may have taken this decision now," he added.


Russian court sentences Pussy Riot rockers to 2 years in prison

NGOs receiving foreign funding and engaging in political activity must now register as "foreign agents," which is likely to undermine their credibility among Russians.

Another law sharply increases the punishment for taking part in an unauthorized protest rallies. State television has denounced the country's only independent election-monitoring body, Golos.

Grigory Melkonyants, the deputy director of Golos, which gets most of its funding from the U.S., said closing the USAID office "is an unfriendly move toward the U.S.”


"The Russian government's decision to end all USAID activities in the country is an insult to the United States and a finger in the eye of the Obama Administration," Senator John McCain, an Arizona Republican, said in a statement.

"There should be no confusion as to why this decision was made: an increasingly autocratic government in Russia wants to limit the ability of its own citizens to freely and willingly work with American partners on the promotion of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Russia," he added.

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/19/13956839-russia-tells-us-we-dont-want-your-aid-money?lite

September 20, 2012 | 12:22

U.S. says its govt. agency "did not interfere in Russia"

Source: Tanjug

WASHINGTON -- The United States has rejected allegations that its government agency, the United States Agency for International Development interfered in elections in Russia.

http://www.b92.net/news/pics/2012/09/20/1653867580505aef7a838ee284081120_MidCol.jpg


At the same time Washington expressed regret that Moscow had decided to cancel further cooperation with that organization.

Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland of the U.S. State Department said in a press briefing that the decision "will primarily affect the citizens of Russia", and added that USAID had an annual budget of nearly USD 50 million in funds that were directed to Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

"It is regrettable that the Russian people will not be able to take advantage of what American citizens are sending to various areas such as health and the environment," said Nuland.

She dismissed allegations of interference in Russia's internal affairs, saying that support for civil society, democracy and human rights do not represent in any manner meddling in the elections in that country.

According to her, the U.S. does not conceal that its support free, fair and transparent elections, "such as it would like to see in Russia".

"We do not give cash, we provide training," added the spokeswoman.

Nuland said that the U.S. would still find a way to continue its cooperation with civil society groups in Russia.

"There are at least 20 of our missions around the world that support civil society activities without USAID. This can go through international organizations or through foundations, but we will continue to support development of a strong civil society in Russia," Nuland concluded.

The United States decided on Wednesday to end the work of USAID in Russia, following a request of the Russian authorities that the organization should leave the country.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has called for creating a system of multiple reserve currencies to strengthen global financial stability and reduce dependence on the U.S. dollar.

“If we are to slash the excessive number of derivatives, enhance discipline and stabilise global finances, we should promote multiple reserve currencies,” Mr. Putin said at a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Vladivostok on Saturday.

He slammed the position of the U.S. dollar as the single reserve currency of the world. “If there is only one global reserve currency, the issuing country will always be tempted to use it in its selfish interests, which in the long run harms the issuer and violates the fundamental principles of the functioning of the world financial system.”

He said the rouble has the potential of becoming a regional reserve currency in the former Soviet Union. “Rouble can claim for the role of reserve currency . “The rouble is used more and more frequently in the settlements in the former Soviet republics”.

Russia in recent years has also signed agreements with India and China to use national currencies in bilateral trade deals. At their summit in New Delhi in March, the BRICS group of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa signed two accords to promote intra-BRICS trade in local currencies.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article3874829.ece

In a fresh episode in crackdown on the opposition, the best-known left-wing leader Sergei Udaltsov, was arrested on accusations of plotting mass riots.

Mr. Udaltsov, a key organiser of thousands-strong rallies against President Vladimir Putin , was detained following a criminal case against him and several activists for their alleged role in preparing “mass disorders”.

The charges, carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, were based on a recent documentary aired by the Kremlin-controlled NTV television channel which claimed that opposition leaders conspired with Georgian officials and disgraced Russian businessmen to overthrow the government.

Police wearing black masks searched the apartments of Mr. Udaltsov and his parents in Moscow on Wednesday and took him away for questioning.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/crackdown-in-russia/article4006492.ece

MOSCOW, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Two U.S. nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have ceased work in Russia and withdrew their personnel, including Russian citizens, local media reported Wednesday.

The National Democratic Institute and the International Republic Institute have re-deployed their seven Russian workers to Lithuania.


http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-01/30/c_132139670.htm

The deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Moscow office, Tanya Lokshina, appeared to be in a difficult situation. The whistleblower Edward Snowden, wanted by the United States, had invited her organization, along with about a dozen others Russian and international human rights groups, to listen to a brief statement and discuss his next steps.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/07/12/edward-snowden-meets-with-human-rights-groups-at-sheremetyevo.html

Hopefully Russia throws Snowden out asap.

The deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Moscow office, Tanya Lokshina, appeared to be in a difficult situation. The whistleblower Edward Snowden, wanted by the United States, had invited her organization, along with about a dozen others Russian and international human rights groups, to listen to a brief statement and discuss his next steps.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/07/12/edward-snowden-meets-with-human-rights-groups-at-sheremetyevo.html

All day long, Lokshina’s two cell phones kept ringing. Reporters wanted to know what she expected from the meeting with Snowden and how Human Rights Watch could help the whistleblower at this point. One of the calls came directly from the U.S. Embassy. A diplomat said he was calling on behalf of Ambassador Michael McFaul, who wondered if Lokshina could let Snowden know that the ambassador did not consider him a rights campaigner but a criminal who broke American laws and damaged to the security of his country. Lokshina looked hesitant. “But I am a human rights defender, so I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to pass on such a message,” she said in an interview on the train to Sheremetyevo


Hopefully Russia throws Snowden out asap.



LOL! Interesting to see the reaction of Washington's 'human rights' agents in Russia when placed in a bit of a sticky situation. :D

Are they going to stand for justice, and publicly criticize those who fund them and their nefarious activities in Russia, or will they appear hypocritical and remain silent in the face of such global US govt tyranny.