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Rapper Morgenshtern appeals against decision to put him on foreign agent list

Alisher is not engaged in political activities, his lawyer Sergey Zhorin specified

MOSCOW, May 23. /TASS/./TASS/. A representative of rapper Alisher Morgenshtern appealed to Moscow’s Zamoskvoretsky Court against the decision of the Ministry of Justice to add the musician to the list of foreign agents. The rapper asked the court to remove him from the list of foreign agents, his lawyer Sergey Zhorin specified to TASS.

"Alisher is a culture and art figure, he is not engaged in political activities, and therefore cannot be designated as a person performing the functions of a foreign agent. We consider the decision of the Ministry of Justice illegal and subject to cancellation, we appealed against it to the Zamoskvoretsky District Court of Moscow, which has already registered the musician's claim," the lawyer said. "We ask to exclude Morgenschtern from the list of the individuals performing the functions of a foreign agent," he added.

On May 6, the Justice Ministry put the rapper on the list of foreign agents. This was explained by "political activity" of the rapper, while data on the foreign sources included Yoola Labs Ltd. (Israel) entertainment company and Ukraine. According to the letter of complaint from the musician, he learned about this from the media and from the ministry’s website. "Alisher did not receive any notification about being put on the above list either by email or by mail," Zhorin said.

According to legislation from December 2020, an individual may be designated as a foreign agent in the event if he is engaged in political activity in Russia or gathering information of military nature about Russia while being under the influence of a foreign source or Russian citizens or entities that act on behalf of a foreign source, which is manifested in the support of these activities (including provision of funds or other assistance).