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USA: Law on "undesirable organizations" leads to Russia’s international isolation

The new law may further restrict the work of civil society in Russia and will contribute to isolation of Russian citizens from the rest of the world, the US State Department said

WASHINGTON, May 24 /TASS/. The United States has expressed concern over Russia’s new law on "undesirable organizations" because it may lead Russia to international isolation, the US State Department said in a statement on Saturday.

The United States is concerned with new Russian law that allows the government to ban undesirable foreign and international organizations in Russia and make illegal any cooperation with groups and organizations included in this category. The new law may further restrict the work of civil society in Russia and will contribute to isolation of Russian citizens from the rest of the world, the US State Department said.

The U.S. administration has called on the Russian government to meet its international commitments and respect civil liberties and freedoms.

A law, which Russian President Vladimir Putin signed on Saturday and which has been published on the official site of legal information, says that a non-governmental foreign or international organization, which threatens Russia’s constitutional order, the country’s defensive capability and state security, can be classified as undesirable either by Russia’s chief prosecutor or his deputies on agreement with the Russian Foreign Ministry. The Russian Justice Ministry will announce and keep the list of "undesirable organizations".

The Putin-signed law bans the creation and operation of branches of "undesirable organizations" in the territory of Russia as well as the distribution of their information materials.