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Duma commission suggests deeming over 20 foreign NGOs ‘undesirable’ — chair

According to Piskarev, Western corporations and NGOs attempted to affect the outcome of the elections in Russia
Russian State Duma Sergei Fadeichev/TASS
Russian State Duma
© Sergei Fadeichev/TASS

MOSCOW, September 20. /TASS/. The Russian State Duma (lower parliament house) commission for probing into facts of foreign interference into Russia’s domestic affairs will request the Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia to deem over 20 foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) undesirable, the commission’s chair Vasily Piskarev said on Monday.

"During the election campaign, a number of foreign non-governmental organizations (over 20 in total) openly called upon Facebook, Twitter and Google to take no notice of the authorities’ instructions and to ignore the Russian legislation about deleting prohibited content," he said. "The commission has prepared a request to the Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia, suggesting to deem those NGOs undesirable on the territory of Russia," the commission’s Telegram channel quoted Piskarev as saying.

According to Piskarev, Western corporations and NGOs attempted to affect the outcome of the elections in Russia.

"It was a well-planned campaign to spread hints and impose certain electoral preferences upon Russians," the lawmaker added.

In his words, foreign non-governmental organizations were spreading fake reports about the electoral process in the country.

"During the voting days, foreign NGOs were spreading fake information about the elections in Russia. This applies primarily to information released by the Golos movement, deemed a foreign agent," he said. "Besides, there were also facts of provocators being trained abroad to stage incidents during the vote."

The lawmaker added that the commission has obtained information about direct (financial) and indirect (guidance and instructions) foreign support for Golos, "aimed at discrediting the elections."

A campaign to discredit the elections in Russia is being waged in the media of the United States, the United Kingdom and other Western countries, Piskarev said.

"Long before the elections were to begin, Western media launched a campaign of hostile anti-Russian propaganda aimed at discrediting the electoral system of our country,"  he continued.

According to the lawmaker, the biggest number of hostile media reports was registered in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and the Czech Republic.

A total of 14 political parties participated in the elections to the eighth Russian State Duma (the lower house of parliament) that were held on September 17, 18, and 19. In addition to the State Duma elections, voters also cast their ballots for the heads of nine Russian regions and members of 39 regional parliaments.