MOSCOW, April 24. /TASS/. Russia’s foreign agent law is much less stringent than its analogue in the US, where the number of people officially designated as "foreign agents" is nearly nine times higher than in Russia, Russian Justice Minister Konstantin Chuichenko said in an interview with TASS.
"In drafting our law, the authors factored in international practice, including the well-known US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), enacted by the US back in 1938. For comparison, under FARA currently more than 3,500 [persons or entities] are listed as foreign agents, and the number of newly designated (foreign) agents has risen by 30% since 2016. In Russia, the number of active agents slightly exceeds 400," the minister pointed out ahead of the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum, where the protection of national interests with regard to the formation and development of civil society will be discussed.
Chuichenko noted that, under FARA, any organization or individual acting in the political interests of other countries, as well as media outlets, must register within ten days and provide the government with detailed reports on their activities every six months. "In addition, the US law is interpreted using the so-called open concept of political activity, making it possible to apply the law to a wide range of persons engaged in lobbying activities and informative consultations, as well as in distributing funds. By comparison, our legislation clearly enumerates and defines the specific areas and forms of political activity [that are subject to registration]," the minister stressed.
He also emphasized that in the US, violations of FARA could entail fines of up to $10,000 and a prison term of up to five years, while those acting as a foreign agent without duly notifying the US Department of Justice could face up to ten years in prison. "That said, the US legislation is based on a tough regulatory model for the activities of persons acting as foreign agents. Our legislation, in contrast, is based on a more moderate and balanced model, which includes softer reporting and internal accounting requirements compared to the US ones, as well as milder penalties for violations," Chuichenko noted.
"However, together with State Duma deputies and [Federation Council] senators, we are continuing to monitor the existing legal norms and assessing threats in order to improve foreign agent legislation," he explained, when asked if Russia’s foreign agent law would be made stricter.