World press review on new Russian NGO bill (July, 13)

The Moscow Times discusses the new NGO bill passed by the State Duma on Friday with overwhelming support. The bill   obliges nongovernmental groups that receive funding from abroad to register as "foreign agents" or risk heavy fines and jail time.

Earlier in the article “United Russia stands by NGO bill” the author Nikolaus von Twickel focuses on the amendment to the law that exempts religious and charitable organizations, as well as organizations created by the state or state-owned companies. “Such a provision not only removes potential embarrassment for the Orthodox Church, which despite being a national icon receives donations from outside Russia, but also for RT, the state-financed English-language TV channel also known as Russia Today.”

“Branding RT a foreign agent inside Russia would be ironic given that the channel is intended as a news source presenting Moscow's views, which often diverge from those of Western powers, to a global audience.”

The Moscow Times quote Tatyana Lokshina, deputy head of the Moscow office of Human Rights Watch who says that  “the toughening of financial and bureaucratic accounting policy is very negative — it suffocates nongovernmental organizations."