MOSCOW. July 26 (Interfax) - The U.S. Embassy in Russia has referred a letter by the Moscow Helsinki Group and Movement for Human Rights, to the White House. The letter asks U.S. President Barack Obama to explain whether they are American agents.

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The U.S. Embassy confirmed to Interfax on Thursday that the letter has been received and referred to the White House.

Two leading Russian nonprofit groups, the Moscow Helsinki Group and the Movement for Human Rights, asked President Barack Obama to explain whether they are American agents.

"The letter has been filed with the U.S. Embassy with a request that it be forwarded by diplomatic mail to U.S. President Barack Obama," Movement for Human Rights leader Lev Ponomaryov told Interfax on Wednesday.

Ponomaryov and MHG head Lyudmila Alexeyeva asked the U.S. administration to answer the question, whether the United States influences human rights campaigners' activities or gives them instructions.

The law signed on Saturday obliges all Russian nonprofit groups, engaged in politics and receiving foreign grants, to register with the Justice Ministry as "foreign agents."

"Mr. President, could you answer the question: Are the Moscow Helsinki Group and the Movement for Human Rights American agents in the conventional meaning of the word? In other words: Are the Moscow Helsinki Group and the Movement for Human Rights authorized to fulfill the American government's instructions, and does the U.S. government influence our organizations' activities directly or indirectly?" says Alexeyeva and Ponomaryov's letter, circulated in Moscow on Wednesday.

"Our organizations may be entered by the Russian government on the list of foreign agents because they play an active role in shaping the public opinion in order to pressure the state to make decisions in Russian citizens' interests," the letter says.

"This being so, our organizations almost entirely rely on grants from American funds, including the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), financed by American taxpayers. Therefore, in compliance with the new law, we will need to get registered as 'a nonprofit organization fulfilling the functions of a foreign agent' - in this particular case agents of the United States, acting as the principal," Alexeyeva and Ponomaryov said.

Ponomaryov earlier said that he would boycott the law on nonprofit groups and will not register as a foreign agent, and he will defend his position in courts.

Alexeyeva told Interfax that the MHG does not want to be called "foreign agent," and that she is giving up foreign grants and will cut the staff and curtail educational and monitoring projects.

The Justice Ministry said on Wednesday that the nonprofit groups that receive foreign grants and do not want to register as foreign agents will be suspended.

Keywords: U.S.-Russian Relations - Russia, Nonprofits, NGO Activists - Russian News - Russia - Johnson's Russia List

MOSCOW. July 26 (Interfax) - The U.S. Embassy in Russia has referred a letter by the Moscow Helsinki Group and Movement for Human Rights, to the White House. The letter asks U.S. President Barack Obama to explain whether they are American agents.

file photo
The U.S. Embassy confirmed to Interfax on Thursday that the letter has been received and referred to the White House.

Two leading Russian nonprofit groups, the Moscow Helsinki Group and the Movement for Human Rights, asked President Barack Obama to explain whether they are American agents.

"The letter has been filed with the U.S. Embassy with a request that it be forwarded by diplomatic mail to U.S. President Barack Obama," Movement for Human Rights leader Lev Ponomaryov told Interfax on Wednesday.

Ponomaryov and MHG head Lyudmila Alexeyeva asked the U.S. administration to answer the question, whether the United States influences human rights campaigners' activities or gives them instructions.

The law signed on Saturday obliges all Russian nonprofit groups, engaged in politics and receiving foreign grants, to register with the Justice Ministry as "foreign agents."

"Mr. President, could you answer the question: Are the Moscow Helsinki Group and the Movement for Human Rights American agents in the conventional meaning of the word? In other words: Are the Moscow Helsinki Group and the Movement for Human Rights authorized to fulfill the American government's instructions, and does the U.S. government influence our organizations' activities directly or indirectly?" says Alexeyeva and Ponomaryov's letter, circulated in Moscow on Wednesday.

"Our organizations may be entered by the Russian government on the list of foreign agents because they play an active role in shaping the public opinion in order to pressure the state to make decisions in Russian citizens' interests," the letter says.

"This being so, our organizations almost entirely rely on grants from American funds, including the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), financed by American taxpayers. Therefore, in compliance with the new law, we will need to get registered as 'a nonprofit organization fulfilling the functions of a foreign agent' - in this particular case agents of the United States, acting as the principal," Alexeyeva and Ponomaryov said.

Ponomaryov earlier said that he would boycott the law on nonprofit groups and will not register as a foreign agent, and he will defend his position in courts.

Alexeyeva told Interfax that the MHG does not want to be called "foreign agent," and that she is giving up foreign grants and will cut the staff and curtail educational and monitoring projects.

The Justice Ministry said on Wednesday that the nonprofit groups that receive foreign grants and do not want to register as foreign agents will be suspended.