Choking on Bureaucracy

State Curbs on Independent Civil Society Activism

I. Summary

Methodology

II. Recommendations

To the Russian Government

With regard to the 2006 NGO law..

To safeguard the work and role of NGOs in general

To Russia's International Partners, particularly the European Union and the Council of Europe

To Donors

III. Background

Dismantling Checks and Balances

Crackdown on Dissent and Political Opposition

Adoption of the 2006 NGO Law..

Efforts to Discredit Human Rights and Foreign-Funded NGOs

Russia's NGO Sector

NGO funding

Human rights NGOs' declining influence

Public Chamber

IV. The 2006 NGO Law..

European Convention on Human Rights

Changes Introduced by the 2006 NGO Law at a Glance

The 2006 NGO Law in Practice

Registration of new organizations and registration of statute and other changes

Registration Service inspections of NGOs

Annual reporting

NGO dissolution

Offices of foreign NGOs operating in Russia

V. Other Types of Pressure on Civil Society

Administrative and Judicial Harassment

Criminal proceedings against heads of NGOs

Administrative harassment

Anti-Extremism Legislation

Threats to Activists

Acknowledgments