Russia hinder new restrictive laws and wave-site inspection of non-governmental organizations, the Council of the European human rights envoy said on Thursday.
Niels Mui?nieks, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United States and the European Union criticism that his voice said, need some non-governmental organizations registered as a "foreign agent" of a new law, spying on the Soviet-era synonymous, "chilling effect. "
The Kremlin said, hundreds of NGO offices in recent weeks checking the implementation of legal compliance, but activists see them as a campaign of harassment silence of President Vladimir Putin's criticism.
Putin ignored concerns, call the check routine. He accused foreign-funded groups to intervene in the internal political and legal - loosely defined to apply to Russian groups trying to influence public policy and to obtain funds from abroad - is necessary, in order to ensure transparency.
"The law is bad," Mui?nieks a news conference in Moscow on said opaque wording of the legislation, the use of political labels, the foreign agent, he said their work expressed concern about the "slander".
This historical background so that it is clearly associated with the word, which has created a very negative image, "he said." "I do not know any similar laws in the Council of Europe and other countries."
The Commissioner will undertake regular visits to Russia and other member states. Aimed at promoting democracy, the rule of law, legal and human rights across the continent 47 national parliaments, but not to make laws, have the power to enforce its recommendations.
"Intimidation"
The leading human rights groups have refused to register as a foreign agent, saying it would damage their credibility and support.
They say they do not participate in politics, and to act in the interests of Russia, not against them.
Representative offices of foreign non-governmental organizations, such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Transparency in the Prosecutor's visit - even if they are exempt from abroad agency rules.
Legal publicity and human rights groups mart said it knows of 225 offices of non-governmental organizations visited, but he said it was just a small part of the total.
In many cases, prosecutors and Justice Department officials, accompanied by staff of the regulatory agencies, such as federal immigration, fire safety and tax services demanding thousands of pages of documents.
Check "to intimidate", Agora Pavel Chikov said. "File employees are interrogated seized, the value of the fine issued thousands of rubles completely by reason."
Ministry of Justice singled votes Oversight Group organization Golos said Tuesday that it was taking the group to court, failure to register as a foreign agent.
Voz, denied that since the law took effect in November 21, it has received foreign funds, faces a maximum fine of 500,000 rubles ($ 16,000). Guilty verdict, will be a step towards the Close group.
Putin's critics say that this is the Kremlin.
Golos targeted, they say, in exposing election fraud, and its role has fueled a wave of street protests against Putin's political dominance in 13 years last winter.
Golos said the, late Thursday landlord to cancel the lease in its Moscow office, forcing it in less than two second mobile.
"We have no doubt ... from our office, the result of the expulsion of the pressure on the organization," voz said on its Facebook page.
Putin's return to the Kremlin in May since his party to promote the adoption of legislation handed over to the law enforcement officials more tools to deal with opposition activists and media criticism.
The police also searched the homes of the organizers of the protests. Anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny trial accused of corruption the Sergei Udaltsov under house arrest next week.
"I think we have to go back to the severe repression of the Soviet era tyranny, as in the 1950s and 1960s, the Moscow Helsinki Group Valery human rights Borshchev, told Kommersant FM radio this week.
"Is there anything to do with the law."
 
 



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