All news

Russia specifies 7 types of NGOs political activity — draft law

The activity of NGOs in the spheres of science, culture, art and healthcare is not considered as political
Russia's Justice Ministry  ITAR-TASS/Yuri Mashkov
Russia's Justice Ministry
© ITAR-TASS/Yuri Mashkov

MOSCOW, January 22. /TASS/. Russia’s Justice Ministry has drawn up amendments to the law on non-profit organizations in the country that specify the term of political activity and criteria for its implementation.

The document, posted on the portal of draft legal acts on Friday, envisages seven types of political activity. Under the amendments, the activity of NGOs in the spheres of science, culture, art, healthcare, social support and protection of citizens is not considered as political.

The activity is also not political if it is linked to the sphere of physical culture and sport, protection of plants and animals, charity and also assisting charity and voluntary work on some conditions.

Under the document, a non-profit organization (except for political party) is considered as involved in a political activity in Russia if its goal is to "influence the development and implementation of state policy and the formation of state bodies, local self-government bodies and the decisions and actions."

The political activity is carried out in the forms of organizing and holding public events such as gatherings, rallies, demonstrations, marches, pickets, public discussions and speeches.

The non-profit organizations’ activity is also considered as political if it is aimed at "gaining a certain outcome" at elections or a referendum, monitoring elections or a referendum, setting up election commissions, referendum commissions and "in the activity of political parties."

The political activity is also related to public addresses to state bodies and local self-government bodies, officials and other steps influencing their work and aimed at adopting, amending or abolishing legal acts and "promotion, including with the use of modern information technologies, assessments of decisions taken by the state bodies and their policy."

The document considers that the forms of political activity are steps aimed at "shaping social and political views and opinions, including by carrying out and announcing the public opinion polls or other sociological researches" and involving citizens in the activity and its financing.