MOSCOW. July 13 (Interfax) - Russia's bill assigning "foreign agent" status to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) engaged in politics and funded from abroad will only serve to intensify the split in society, A Just Russia faction member Ilya Ponomaryov said.

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"In my opinion, the passage of this bill is untimely, to say the least, because it will not help promote social reconciliation, but will only broaden the rift," he said.

This bill "is another step toward our civil society's degradation in order to pit Russian citizens against other Russian citizens, patriots of our country against other patriots of our country," the parliamentarian said.

Ponomaryov said that the new document could be applied to him as well.

"I have definitely become a foreign agent because I announced a donation campaign for Krymsk [a town in southern Russia hardest hit by a recent flood]. A large number of citizens donated money. Up to 1,000 people donated money from abroad. That is why I am speaking from this rostrum as a foreign agent's capacity, and I am proud of it," Ponomaryov said.

For his part, Andrei Isayev, a member of the United Russia faction, which authored this bill, told him: "Mr. Ponomaryov, you are definitely a foreign agent if you are a non-governmental organization and if you choose to spend the money you have collected for charity on your political PR campaign in the Krasnodar Territory."

This law will not effect the majority of NGOs, he said.

"It will impact only non-governmental organizations that receive aid from abroad and spend it on their political activities," Isayev said.

The new document does not impose any bans on NGOs that will be assigned "foreign agent" status, the deputy said, adding that it will require only greater transparency from them.

Isayev also offered his comment on remarks made by Lyudmila Alexeyeva, the head of Russia's oldest independent human rights organization, Moscow Helsinki Group, who proposed including the names of the NGO bill authors in the so-called Magnitsky list.

"The entire United Russia faction signed this bill. You can put us on any lists because what is important for us is the sovereignty of our country and the rights of our people, who own politics and political activity in our country. It is important for us to know whose interests different forces seeking a role in politics represent," Isayev said.

Keywords: Russia, Government, Politics - Russia, Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's - Russian News - Russia

MOSCOW. July 13 (Interfax) - Russia's bill assigning "foreign agent" status to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) engaged in politics and funded from abroad will only serve to intensify the split in society, A Just Russia faction member Ilya Ponomaryov said.

file photo
"In my opinion, the passage of this bill is untimely, to say the least, because it will not help promote social reconciliation, but will only broaden the rift," he said.

This bill "is another step toward our civil society's degradation in order to pit Russian citizens against other Russian citizens, patriots of our country against other patriots of our country," the parliamentarian said.

Ponomaryov said that the new document could be applied to him as well.

"I have definitely become a foreign agent because I announced a donation campaign for Krymsk [a town in southern Russia hardest hit by a recent flood]. A large number of citizens donated money. Up to 1,000 people donated money from abroad. That is why I am speaking from this rostrum as a foreign agent's capacity, and I am proud of it," Ponomaryov said.

For his part, Andrei Isayev, a member of the United Russia faction, which authored this bill, told him: "Mr. Ponomaryov, you are definitely a foreign agent if you are a non-governmental organization and if you choose to spend the money you have collected for charity on your political PR campaign in the Krasnodar Territory."

This law will not effect the majority of NGOs, he said.

"It will impact only non-governmental organizations that receive aid from abroad and spend it on their political activities," Isayev said.

The new document does not impose any bans on NGOs that will be assigned "foreign agent" status, the deputy said, adding that it will require only greater transparency from them.

Isayev also offered his comment on remarks made by Lyudmila Alexeyeva, the head of Russia's oldest independent human rights organization, Moscow Helsinki Group, who proposed including the names of the NGO bill authors in the so-called Magnitsky list.

"The entire United Russia faction signed this bill. You can put us on any lists because what is important for us is the sovereignty of our country and the rights of our people, who own politics and political activity in our country. It is important for us to know whose interests different forces seeking a role in politics represent," Isayev said.