A group of leading Russian economists has called on the government to reconsider a controversial new law that obliges some NGOs to register as “foreign agents,” saying it threatens to destroy the cooperation between independent experts and the authorities, RIA News reports. The letter written by the experts, many of whom were involved in devising a strategy for Russia’s economic development through 2020, was published today in Russian business daily "Vedomosti".
Russia passed a new law in November obliging all NGOs involved in political activities and receiving any funding from abroad to register as “foreign agents.” The letter’s authors echoed earlier complaints by NGOs over the term “foreign agent,” protesting the use of the term “agent” in connection with research and study organizations, and arguing that following the prosecutors’ logic, nearly every expert analysis organization is comprised of foreign agents, RIA News says.
