All news

Russian GULAG memorial center fined for refusal to register as foreign agent

Russia’s only preserved camp of the GULAG era was put on the list of foreign agents by the Justice Ministry in April

PERM, July 22. /TASS/. Prikamye district court in Russia’s Perm has fined non-profit Memorial center of history of political repressions Perm-36 $5,200 for refusal to register as a foreign agent, magistrate’s secretary told TASS on Wednesday.

Perm-36 was established in 2001 on the basis of former jail for political prisoners. In April, Russia’s only preserved camp of the GULAG era was put on the list of foreign agents by the Justice Ministry. The ministry said that while conducting checks in the Perm region, it found evidence that "Perm-36" is a non-governmental organization acting as a foreign agent.

"The judge ruled to fine the Memorial center of history of political repressions Perm-36 300,000 rubles [around $5,200] for its refusal to register as a foreign agent. The center’s former director Tatyana Kursina was also fined 100,000 rubles [around $1,700]," the court said.

The law on foreign agents NGOs was passed in 2012. It requires organizations engaged in political activities and receiving funding from abroad to register as foreign agents. According to the Russian Ministry of Justice, the list of NGOs acting as foreign agents includes 68 organizations.