MOSCOW, June 22. /TASS/. The Russian State Duma, or lower house of parliament, passed a bill on the first reading that calls for imprisonment for up to two years for repeat offenses involving working for foreign or international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are not listed in the special registry, with a potential prison term of up to three years for organizing the operations of such NGOs in Russia.

The bill was drafted by members of the State Duma Commission for Investigating Foreign Interference in Russia's Internal Affairs, led by Vasily Piskarev, chair of the Duma Security and Anti-Corruption Committee.

The Russian Criminal Code will be amended to include a new article. Under current law, individuals who have previously been charged with administrative liability for participating in the operations of an unregistered NGO in Russia may be subject to criminal fines ranging from 100,000 to 200,000 rubles (approximately $1,200-$2,400), or incarceration for up to two years, with the possibility of being barred from holding certain offices for five years.