Statement by ALDA President, Oriano Otočan

“ALDA shares the concern of the international civil society community with the Russian Duma’s decision on July 13 to adopt amendments to the law on Non Commercial Organisations (including NGOs).

The new law requires among a number of negative developments that organisations, which receive international funding to label themselves as “foreign agents” and to register with a specially authorised governmental body prior to receiving funding from any foreign sources if they intend to conduct political activities.

We consider that Russia has a legitimate right to introduce legislation to regulate foreign funding to organisations in Russia, but the current law as adopted is clearly not about legitimate concerns, but rather an attempt to undermine the work of NGOs in Russia and their possibility to operate freely.
ALDA regrets that Russia is taking this step against freedom and independence of civil society, which would prevent possibilities of future cooperation with Russian partners.” […]