The Russian government is using anti-spying spying legislation to justify labeling environmental groups as “foreign agents,” according to a Tuesday report from Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Nearly 30 environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are being forced to submit waves of reports to the government or face fines for non-compliance, HRW noted. Only four of the 29 groups are still active, while those remaining are unreachable or unwilling to comment.
“Government has put in place an administrative structure for de-legitimizing environmental organizations and activists, effectively smearing them as anti-Russian spies,” Richard Pearshouse, associate environmental director at HRW, told reporters about the law, which applies to any organization that receives foreign aid for political activity.
Some of the groups being targeted argue that the wave of fines and permits are making it impossible to maintain a presence in the country.
Bellona Murmansk, a Norwegian-backed NGO, was censured for engaging in an “eco day” for student summer camps, HRW’s report notes, and fined $850. It was shuttered in October 2015 because it was unable to pay a further $5,000 fine.
“[Prior to designation] we actively collaborated with state institutions, including schools and public libraries,” Bellona Murmansk’s former head Andrey Zolotkov told researchers at HRW. “As soon as we received the ‘foreign agent’ label, many government contacts told us that further cooperation was impossible.”
Reports that Russia is hemming in public advocacy campaigns from various environmental groups come as the country continually criticizes President Donald Trump for leaving the Paris climate deal.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a conference call earlier this year that the deal would be toothless if the U.S. does not hold up its end of the bargain.
“President Putin signed this convention in Paris. Russia attaches great significance to it,” Peskov said in January shortly before Trump announced the Paris breakup. “At the same time, it goes without saying that the effectiveness of this convention is likely to be reduced without its key participants.”
Read more at Daily Caller
I would like to put al those annoying enviromental actvists to work cleanig up a highway or roadside or after a Earth Day Celebration or a Useful Idiots Climate March and clean up the big big mess they leave behind
Rakooi you Dweeb Putin was better then Obama since Putin rode Horses and Motor Cycles Obama rode around on a stupid bicycle wearingg one of those teenie weenie helmets
Since TRUMP is Putin’s pupil…watch and wonder what will be next in this country.
Today Internet Freedom came under full frontal attack…the meg rich owners NOW have the right to THROTTLE or FORBID any specified transmissions….in other words, THEY will be able to CONTROL EVERY THING you wish to see or watch.
…
TODAY, a decades old rule that prohibited NEWS/INFORMATION monopolies in towns & cities, has been scrapped….ONE COMPANY, owned by the mega rich…CAN and SOON WILL own the TV
& RADIO STATIONS as well as the News Papers in towns across the country !
WELCOME TO TRUMP’S America….visualize what American will become with out FREE ACCESS to information…opposing information…supporting information etc.
A RUSSIAN LIKE OLIGARCHY !
Hmm Rakooi, what you describe reminds me immediately of the climate alarm cabal, who suppress any news that undermines their “theory” and refuse point blank to engage in a scientific debate over the “climate sensitivity” of carbon dioxide and the so-called “greenhouse effect”. You would do well to read these two peer reviewed papers: http://tech-know-group.com/papers/Role_of_CO2-EaE.pdf and http://tech-know-group.com/papers/Role_of_GHE-EaE.pdf
If you have an open mind on the matter, you’ll realise that all climate alarm is based on the incorrect application of scientific laws, specifically the laws of thermodynamics where alarmist “science” allows a cooler substance to make an already warmer substance even warmer.
Everything you say is what the current msm is attempting.
And you say this the current president doing this.
I think it is obvious that the current msm would like nothing better than to destroy the current president.
Your claim otherwise is totally preposterous,
but typical,
Since you leftist pigs always accuse your opposition of what you’re doing
in cheap obfuscation that appeals to your support base
who either can’t or refuse to think for themselves.
Now dose that Mean Greenpeace and Sierra Club are Foreign Nations? well then their not welcome here