russia Criminalizes the Status of “foreign agent”, Doubling the Scale of Persecution

The state duma of the rf has adopted amendments to the Criminal Code that significantly simplify the prosecution of so-called “foreign agents”.

Whereas previously a criminal case was opened after two administrative fines within a year, now one fine or a previous conviction is enough. This is expected to double the number of cases.

Violations that now entail criminal liability include: activities of a “foreign agent” without being entered in the relevant register, receiving funds from foreign sources for political activities, incomplete or distorted submission of data to the authorities, failure to mark status in publications and documents, and violation of the rules for creating a russian legal entity.

The penalties remain the same: fines of up to $3,600, forced or corrective labor for up to two years, or imprisonment for a similar term.

The amendments mark the kremlin’s moving from administrative control to the direct criminalization of the status of “foreign agent”, turning it into a key instrument of political terror.