MOSCOW, December 1. /TASS/. The Russian Justice Ministry has included two foreign organizations - the Open Society Foundations and the OSI Assistance Foundation - to the list of undesirable NGOs, the ministry’s website said on Tuesday.
The ministry announced that the Open Society Foundations and the OSI Assistance Foundation are in the undesirable list in accordance with the law adopted this spring implying that any foreign or international non-governmental organization, "which poses a threat to the foundations of Russia’s constitutional system, defense capability and state security, can be classified as undesirable."
The Soros Fund, which is the official name for the Open Society Foundations, is an international grant making network founded by American business magnate George Soros. Open Society Foundations financially support civil society groups around the world, with a stated aim of advancing justice, education, public health and independent media. The Fund finances such international organizations as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Mercy Corps, International Crisis Group.