An Uncivil Approach to Civil Society

Continuing State Curbs on Independent NGOs and Activists in Russia

I. Summary

Methodology

II. Recommendations

To the Russian Government

To Russia’s International Partners, Particularly the European Union, the United States, and the Council of Europe

To Donors

III. A Hostile Environment

New President, New Promises, Old Reality?

Hostile Rhetoric Toward NGOs

Violence and threats

Hopes for Reform

NGO Financing: A Matter of Survival

Taxes, including wider taxation of foreign funding

Losing subsidies on office space

Politicization in Public Chamber grant-making

IV. The NGO Law

European Convention on Human Rights

Transfer of Authority to the Ministry of Justice

The 2006 NGO Law in Practice

Registration

Ministry of Justice inspections of NGOs

Annual reporting

NGO dissolution and suspension

In Support of Civil Society

Problems with Transfer of NGO Oversight from Federal Registration Service

V. Other Types of Pressure on Civil Society

Anti-Extremism Legislation

Inspections

Fire Inspections

Harassment through multiple investigations

Software Piracy Investigations

Acknowledgments

Appendix

Proposals on Changes to the Russian Federal Laws on Regulating NGOs

Universally recognized principles and norms

Creation, registration and reorganization

Reporting

Inspections

Suspensions and suspensions of activity, rulings that organizations are nonfunctioning, and involuntary liquidation