MOSCOW. Aug 2 (Interfax) - Lyudmila Alexeyeva, the head of Russia's oldest human rights organization Moscow Helsinki Group, has said her organization will continue to receive financing from abroad and will not be registered as a foreign agent even despite the Moscow prosecutor's warning.

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"Let them react and let them put me in jail. I will quickly die there, as I am a very old woman. I wonder how this will look. Let's see," Alexeyeva, 85, told Interfax on Thursday.

She insisted that the amendments to the law on NGO that recently took effect violate the constitution and Russia's international obligations. "The prosecutors had better react to this," she said.

Moscow Prosecutor Sergei Kudeneyev had told Interfax earlier on Thursday that the prosecution authorities would not ignore statements by some NGOs on their intention to boycott the new law on NGOs acting as foreign agents.

"The prosecution authorities will react in compliance with the powers that are delegated to them," Kudeneyev said.

Alexeyeva said on Wednesday that she would not voluntarily stop using Western financing and would not seek registration as a foreign agent.

"I have decided to fight till the end. I am not going to refuse being financed by Western foundations right now. I won't give them such a pleasure. We will stop using Western grants only when my arm is twisted, and no sooner," Alexeyeva, a bitter critic of the new NGO law, told Interfax on Wednesday.

"We will be receiving grants, will continue our human rights activities and will not voluntarily get registered as a foreign agent. They will warn us, and I will answer that I do not consider myself a foreign agent. If they summon me to court, I will say this in a court," she said.

"If they say: here is a court order, and you have to be registered as a foreign agent or otherwise you will be fined millions, which we won't be able to pay, then I will say that we stop using foreign grants. I will write about this to all foreign foundations," Alexeyeva said.

The law, which took effect on July 21, stipulates that all Russian NGOs engaged in politics and financed from abroad must be registered with the Justice Ministry as 'foreign agents'.

Leading Russian human rights organizations, such as For Human Rights, Memorial, Civil Assistance and others said they would boycott the NGO bill, would refuse to be registered as foreign agents and would defend their position in courts.

The Justice Ministry warned that operations of NGOs receiving financing from abroad and refusing to be registered as foreign agents would be suspended.

The Moscow Helsinki Group and the movement For Human Rights forwarded a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama last week to ask him to explain whether their organizations are U.S. agents. More specifically, Lev Ponomaryov and Alexeyeva asked Obama to answer whether the U.S. is guiding the activities of Russian human rights activists and giving them instructions. Moscow Helsinki Group and For Human Rights receive financing from U.S. foundations, arguing that in Russia, the state and businesses are unwilling to finance NGOs.

Keywords: Russia, Protests, Politics - Russia, Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's - Russian News - Russia - Johnson's Russia List

MOSCOW. Aug 2 (Interfax) - Lyudmila Alexeyeva, the head of Russia's oldest human rights organization Moscow Helsinki Group, has said her organization will continue to receive financing from abroad and will not be registered as a foreign agent even despite the Moscow prosecutor's warning.

file image
"Let them react and let them put me in jail. I will quickly die there, as I am a very old woman. I wonder how this will look. Let's see," Alexeyeva, 85, told Interfax on Thursday.

She insisted that the amendments to the law on NGO that recently took effect violate the constitution and Russia's international obligations. "The prosecutors had better react to this," she said.

Moscow Prosecutor Sergei Kudeneyev had told Interfax earlier on Thursday that the prosecution authorities would not ignore statements by some NGOs on their intention to boycott the new law on NGOs acting as foreign agents.

"The prosecution authorities will react in compliance with the powers that are delegated to them," Kudeneyev said.

Alexeyeva said on Wednesday that she would not voluntarily stop using Western financing and would not seek registration as a foreign agent.

"I have decided to fight till the end. I am not going to refuse being financed by Western foundations right now. I won't give them such a pleasure. We will stop using Western grants only when my arm is twisted, and no sooner," Alexeyeva, a bitter critic of the new NGO law, told Interfax on Wednesday.

"We will be receiving grants, will continue our human rights activities and will not voluntarily get registered as a foreign agent. They will warn us, and I will answer that I do not consider myself a foreign agent. If they summon me to court, I will say this in a court," she said.

"If they say: here is a court order, and you have to be registered as a foreign agent or otherwise you will be fined millions, which we won't be able to pay, then I will say that we stop using foreign grants. I will write about this to all foreign foundations," Alexeyeva said.

The law, which took effect on July 21, stipulates that all Russian NGOs engaged in politics and financed from abroad must be registered with the Justice Ministry as 'foreign agents'.

Leading Russian human rights organizations, such as For Human Rights, Memorial, Civil Assistance and others said they would boycott the NGO bill, would refuse to be registered as foreign agents and would defend their position in courts.

The Justice Ministry warned that operations of NGOs receiving financing from abroad and refusing to be registered as foreign agents would be suspended.

The Moscow Helsinki Group and the movement For Human Rights forwarded a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama last week to ask him to explain whether their organizations are U.S. agents. More specifically, Lev Ponomaryov and Alexeyeva asked Obama to answer whether the U.S. is guiding the activities of Russian human rights activists and giving them instructions. Moscow Helsinki Group and For Human Rights receive financing from U.S. foundations, arguing that in Russia, the state and businesses are unwilling to finance NGOs.