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EU expresses concern over Russia’s new law on "undesirable organizations"

Ministry of Justice is to be in charge of making up lists of ‘undesirable organizations’ and of publishing them

© EPA/ZURAB KURTSIKIDZE

BRUSSELS, May 24. /TASS/. The European Union has expressed its concern over Russia’s newly adopted law on "undesirable organizations," according to a statement circulated by the European External Action Service on Sunday.

The service said this law was another step in a series of restrictions imposed on civil society, independent media and political opposition in Russia.

The law that was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday and posted on the official web portal of legal information says that a foreign or international, but only non-governmental (NGO), organization can be recognized as undesirable if it "poses a threat to fundamentals of the constitutional system of the Russian Federation, to the country’s defence capacity and security." A decision to this effect is passed by Russia’s prosecutor general or his deputies in coordination with the Russian Foreign Ministry. The Ministry of Justice is to be in charge of making up lists of ‘undesirable organizations’ and of publishing them.

The law imposes, in particular, a ban on activities, setting up and opening of structural subdivisions of an ‘undesirable organization’ in the Russian Federation and distribution of its information materials.

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