ECODEFENCE AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA and 48 other applications

Communicated on 22 March 2017

THIRD SECTION

Application no. 9988/13
ECODEFENCE and others
against Russia
and 48 other applications
(see Appendix)

STATEMENT OF FACTS

FACTS

The facts of individual applications are set out in Appendix.

RELEVANT DOMESTIC LAW AND PRACTICE

A. Foreign Agents Act

On 20 July 2012 the Russian Parliament adopted a series of amendments to the laws on non-governmental organisations, collectively known as the “Foreign Agents Act”. The Act introduced the concept of a “foreign agent” into section 2 of the Law on Non-Commercial Organisations (hereinafter referred to as “the NCOs Act”). It was defined as follows:

“... 6. ... a Russian non-commercial organisation which receives funds and other property from foreign States, their governmental bodies, international and foreign organisations, foreign nationals, stateless persons or persons authorised by [any of the above], or Russian legal entities receiving funds and other property from the above-mentioned sources (except for joint-stock companies with State involvement and their subsidiaries) (hereinafter referred to as ‘foreign sources’), and which engages in political activity, including political activity in the interests of foreign providers of funds, in the territory of the Russian Federation.”

Section 2 of the NCOs Act defines the concept of “political activity”:

“A non-commercial organisation, except for a political party, is considered to carry out political activity if, regardless of its statutory goals and purposes, it participates (including financially) in the organisation and implementation of political actions in order to influence State authorities’ decision-making affecting State policy and public opinion.

Activities in the following fields shall be excluded from the scope of ‘political activity’: science, culture, the arts, health care, the prevention of diseases and the protection of health, social security, the protection of motherhood and childhood, social support of disabled persons, promotion of a healthy lifestyle, physical well‑being and sports, the protection of flora and fauna, charitable activities, and assistance of charities and voluntary organisations.”

Section 32 of the NCOs Act, as amended on 20 July 2012, requires all organisations exercising the functions of a “foreign agent” to seek registration with the Ministry of Justice:

“7. ... A non-commercial organisation intending to exercise the functions of a foreign agent shall file with a competent body [the Ministry of Justice] an application for its inclusion in the register of non-commercial organisations exercising the functions of a foreign agent...”

Section 29 of the Public Associations Act (Federal Law no. 82-FZ of 19 May 1995) contains the same requirement on a non-governmental organisation qualifying as a foreign agent to register with a competent body.

The Foreign Agents Act added a new subsection to section 32 of the NCOs Act. The new provisions contained specific grounds for unscheduled inspections of NCOs (non-commercial organisations) exercising the functions of a foreign agent (section 32(4.6)).

As to routine inspections, section 32, as amended by the Foreign Agents Act, provides as follows:

“4.5. Routine inspections of a non-commercial organisation exercising the functions of a foreign agent shall be carried out once a year.”

According to section 24 of the NCOs Act, as amended by the Foreign Agents Act, organisations registered as foreign agents are required to label their publications accordingly:

“1. ... Material issued by a non-commercial organisation exercising the functions of a foreign agent or distributed by it, in particular through the mass media or with the use of the Internet, shall bear an indication that such material has been issued or distributed by a non-commercial organisation exercising the functions of a foreign agent.”

The Foreign Agents Act also introduced new accounting requirements. Financial reports of non-commercial organisations exercising the functions of a foreign agent are subject to compulsory audits. They are required to keep separate records of income or expenses obtained from foreign sources and income or expenses obtained from other sources (section 32(1) of the NCOs Act). Like all other NCOs, they submit to the Ministry of Justice reports on their activities, members of management bodies, expenditures and use of property. They must also comply with stricter accounting requirements, as provided for in section 32(3) and (3.2):

“3. ... non-commercial organisations exercising the functions of a foreign agent shall submit an audit statement together with the above-mentioned documents. Moreover, the documents submitted by non-commercial organisations exercising the functions of a foreign agent shall contain information on the spending of funds and the use of other property received from foreign sources, and on their actual expenditure and use of property ...

Non-commercial organisations exercising the functions of a foreign agent shall submit to a competent body [the Ministry of Justice] a report on their activities and members of management bodies every six months; every three months they shall submit documents containing information on the spending of funds and the use of other property, including funds and property received from foreign sources, and an audit statement shall be submitted every year.

3.2. ... once a year, non-commercial organisations exercising the functions of a foreign agent shall publish on the Internet a report about their activities containing the same information as that submitted to a competent body [the Ministry of Justice] or its local department; and every six months the organisations will provide such a report for publication in the mass media.”

The Foreign Agents Act also made the following acts criminal offences: creation of a non-commercial organisation exercising the functions of a foreign agent which violates human rights, and deliberate non-compliance with the legislation on foreign agents.

A subsequent law of 12 November 2012 introduced sanctions for violation of the legal provisions on foreign agents into the Code of Administrative Offences (“the CAO”). The new Article 19.7.5-2 defines sanctions for failure to provide information to the State authorities:

“Failure by a non-commercial organisation exercising the functions of a foreign agent to provide or to provide in a timely manner a State body (or official) with the data (or information) required by law and necessary to these State bodies (or officials) for the accomplishment of their lawful objectives, or failure to provide complete or correct data (or information) to a State body (or official), if these actions (or inaction) do not amount to a criminal offence –

shall be punishable by a reprimand or an administrative fine of 10,000 to 30,000 roubles for officials, and a fine of 100,000 to 300,000 roubles for legal entities.”

New provisions also concern sanctions for failure to register as a foreign agent and for violation of the duty to label publications as originating from a foreign agent (Article 19.34):

“1. Failure by a non-commercial organisation exercising the functions of a foreign agent to register as a foreign agent –

shall be punishable by an administrative fine of 100,000 roubles to 300,000 roubles for officials, and a fine of 300,000 roubles to 500,000 roubles for legal entities.

2. The publishing of material by a non-commercial organisation exercising the functions of a foreign agent or the distribution of such material through the mass media or the Internet without indication that it has been published or distributed by a non-commercial organisation exercising the functions of a foreign agent –

shall be punishable by an administrative fine of 100,000 roubles to 300,000 roubles for officials, and a fine of 300,000 roubles to 500,000 roubles for legal entities.”

In Ruling no. 10-P of 8 April 2014 the Constitutional Court held that Article 19.34 § 1 of the CAO did not fully comply with the Russian Constitution (see below).

On 4 June 2014 the Federal Parliament introduced an amendment concerning the Ministry of Justice’s power to put a non-governmental organisation (NGO) on the list of foreign agents on its own initiative.

The Law of 8 March 2015 added a procedure for removing an organisation from the list of foreign agents.

On 3 November 2015, in respect of administrative offences relating to the foreign agents legislation, a statutory limitation period for the relevant prosecuting organisation was extended from three months to one year.

On 2 June 2016 the definition of a “foreign agent” was updated to read as follows:

“A non-commercial organisation, except for a political party, is considered to carry out a political activity in Russian territory if, regardless of its statutory goals and purposes, it engages in activities in the field of statehood, the protection of the Russian constitutional system, federalism, the protection of the Russian Federation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the rule of law, public security, national defence, external policy, the Russian Federation’s social, economic and national development, development of the political system, State and local authority activities, or human rights, for the purpose of influencing State policy, State and local authority structure, or their decisions and actions.

The above activity shall be carried out in the following ways:

organising and holding public events such as meetings, rallies, demonstrations, marches or pickets, or any combination of them, and organising and holding public debates, discussions, or speeches;

attempting to get certain results from elections, holding a referendum, acting as an election or referendum observer, establishing election or referendum commissions, engaging in political party activities;

submitting public petitions to State and local authorities and officials, and carrying out other actions affecting [such public authorities and officials], including actions encouraging the adoption, amendment or repeal of laws or other legal acts;

disseminating, including via information technology, views on State authorities’ decisions and policy;

shaping opinion on social and political issues by, amongst other things, carrying out public opinion polls and publishing the results, or conducting other sociological research;

involving citizens, including minors, in the above activities;

financing the above activities.

The activities in the following fields shall be excluded from the scope of ‘political activity’: science, culture, the arts, health care, disease prevention and protection of health, social security, protection of motherhood and childhood, social support of disabled persons, promotion of a healthy lifestyle, physical well-being and sports, protection of flora and fauna, charitable activities.”

B. Case-law of the Constitutional Court

On 8 April 2014 the Constitutional Court issued Ruling no. 10-P, upholding the provisions of the Foreign Agents Act as being compatible with the Constitution, and provided an interpretation of the term “foreign agent”.

Firstly, the Constitutional Court set out which circumstances should be considered when determining whether an organisation was financed from abroad:

“... There is no risk of arbitrary interpretation and application of the provisions on foreign funding, as it makes no difference how long, in what amount or in what form the foreign funds have been provided. However, it is important to bear in mind that relevant funds and other property should be not only transferred (remitted) to the non‑commercial organisation, but also received by it; if it refuses to receive them and returns them to the foreign source, in particular before starting political activity, the organisation is not obliged to file an application for registration as a foreign agent ...”

The Constitutional Court described what actions could be considered political activity:

“The forms of political activity can be diverse. In addition to meetings, rallies, demonstrations, marches and pickets, political actions may include: elections and referendum campaigns; public appeals to State bodies; dissemination of positions regarding decisions made and policy pursued by State bodies, including dissemination via information technology; and other activities which cannot be exhaustively listed. When classifying as political actions some activities organised and carried out with the participation of non-commercial organisations ... it is important to determine how they may affect (either directly or by shaping public opinion) the decision-making process of State bodies and State policy, as well as to determine whether they will trigger a public reaction and attract the attention of State bodies or civil society.

The activities of a non-commercial organisation in such fields as science, culture, the arts, public health, preventive care and health care, social support and protection, protection of motherhood and childhood, social support of disabled persons, promotion of a healthy lifestyle, physical exercises and sports, protection of flora and fauna, charitable activities, and assistance of charities and voluntary organisations shall not be considered political activity ... even if the aim of these activities is to influence the decision-making process of State bodies and State policy, provided that this aim stays within the limits of the relevant field...”

When defining whether an organisation intends to carry out political activities, it is necessary to take into account the following elements:

“... The intention to participate in political activity in the territory of the Russian Federation may be confirmed by constitutional, programme and other official documents of a non-commercial organisation, public statements of its directors (officials) containing an appeal to adopt, change or annul some decisions by State bodies, notices of assembly, meetings, demonstrations, marches or picketing sent by a non-commercial organisation to a regional executive or municipal body, the preparation and presentation of legislative initiatives, and other public activities objectively demonstrating that the non-commercial organisation intends to arrange and hold political events in order to influence the decision-making procedure and policy of State authorities.”

The Constitutional Court further held that the provisions of the CAO were in line with the Constitution, except for Article 19.34 of the CAO establishing the minimum amounts of fines, in so far as, in all cases, it did not allow the nature of the offence, the degree of guilt of the person held responsible, his or her property and financial status, and other circumstances important for the individualisation of punishment to be properly considered. The Constitutional Court concluded as follows:

“4.2. ... It becomes extremely difficult and sometimes impossible to ensure, as the Constitution requires, an individual approach to imposing an administrative fine with the minimum of 100,000 roubles for officials and 300,000 roubles for legal entities, especially because no alternative is provided for.

... Thus, the provision ... that establishes the minimum amount of the administrative fines ... does not conform to the Constitution of the Russian Federation...

... The federal legislator should ... make necessary changes as a result of this ruling ... Pending such changes ..., the amount of the administrative fine imposed on officials and legal entities for committing administrative offences as set out in Article 19.34 § 1 may be reduced by the court below the lower limit established by the sanction of this provision, ... in cases where the imposition of an administrative fine within the limits stipulated by the sanction does not meet the purposes of administrative liability and excessively restricts the property rights of the person concerned.”

EXPERT OPINIONS

A. Report by the Human Rights Resource Centre

In March 2015 the Human Rights Resource Centre, a Russian NGO, released the report “Foreign Agents: Mythical Enemies and Russian Society’s Real Losses”, which analysed cases of forcible inclusion on the list of foreign agents. The report also contains an analysis of seventy grounds for classifying an NGO’s activities as political. The researchers came to the conclusion that the legislation on foreign agents had made the situation of NGOs worse. Moreover, the domestic courts applied the Foreign Agents Act on the basis of a wide interpretation of its provisions:

“The courts provide a very wide interpretation of the term ‘political activity’ in their decisions. They include in this term activities useful to society, the dissemination of information and the protection of human rights...

The effective legislation does not provide for a clear definition of the term ‘political activity’. This may result in a prejudicial attitude towards NGOs which have an active position in society and which implement projects helping to deal with social problems. This may also result in pressure being put on public leaders, impeding the leaders’ activities and the daily work of NGOs.”

According to the report, when classifying an action as political activity, the Ministry of Justice, prosecutor’s offices and courts used a standardised approach.

The researchers identified seventy grounds for identifying political activity, including, inter alia: organising public events, conferences, and seminars; publishing information on human rights; posting interviews with an NGO’s director on the Internet; collecting signatures; releasing a film; distributing flyers; and protecting the environment. The books present in an NGO’s office could also constitute such grounds. In many cases, the activities did not concern any political issues. In some cases, the grounds were very vague. In particular, between 2 and 4 August 2010 a representative of the Youth Centre for Consulting and Training, a non‑commercial human rights organisation, participated in the Russia‑Georgia: Vladikavkaz-Tbilisi bike ride. This event was classified as political activity.

The researchers concluded that any actions of NGOs could be identified as political activity. The indication in the Foreign Agents Act that NGOs’ activities in science, the protection of flora and fauna and other fields could not be considered as political activity had not changed the situation.

B. Opinion by the Amnesty International

In its new report “Agents of the People: Four Years of ‘Foreign Agents’ Law in Russia”, November 2016, Amnesty International highlighted the negative impact of the Foreign Agents Act on independent Russian NGOs.

Amnesty International noted that the Russian authorities implemented the Foreign Agents Act in such a way that almost any NGO which received foreign funds was likely to be registered as a foreign agent, irrespective of its activities. The Foreign Agents Act had been used to undermine and discredit effective and active NGOs. It had contributed to the creation of an atmosphere of suspicion and intolerance. Many organisations which had made a significant contribution to promotion of human rights, civil society and wellbeing had been forced to close down.

NGOs faced a difficult choice: to accept funds from abroad and be labelled “foreign agents” or refuse foreign funding and rely exclusively on Russian sources, including Presidential grants or grants from the local authorities. However the NGOs funded by the government might become less independent and more prone to self-censorship.

Amnesty International recommended suspending and then repealing the Foreign Agents Act; publicly acknowledging the importance of NGOs in civil society; protecting NGOs and human rights defenders against harassment and attacks.

C. Opinions of the Venice Commission and the Commissioner for Human Rights

The Foreign Agents Act has been analysed by international organisations. In particular, on 27 June 2014 the European Commission for Democracy through Law (the Venice Commission) issued Opinion no. 716‑717/2013. The Commission made the following observations:

“132. ... The use of the term ‘foreign agent’ is highly controversial. By bringing back the rhetoric used during the communist period, this term stigmatises the NCOs to which it is applied, tarnishing their reputation and seriously hampering their activities. The Venice Commission therefore recommends that the term be abandoned.

133. The Venice Commission further considers that the legitimate aim of ensuring transparency of NCOs receiving funding from abroad cannot justify measures which hamper the activities of NCOs operating in the field of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. It therefore recommends reconsidering the creation of a special regime with autonomous registration, special register and a host of additional legal obligations.

134. If this specific legal regime is maintained, the power of the authorities to proceed with the registration of a NCO as ‘foreign agent’ (or other term) without that NCO’s consent should be removed...

135. Pursuant to the law under examination, the legal status of a “foreign agent” presupposes not only that a NCO receives foreign funding but also that it participates in ‘political activities’. This expression is however quite broad and vague and the practice of its interpretation by public authorities has been so far rather disparate, adding to the uncertainties surrounding the meaning of the term. The Venice Commission therefore calls upon the Russian authorities to work towards a clear definition of ‘political activities’...

136. In addition to its text, the practical implementation of the Law on Non‑Commercial Organizations also gives rise to concerns. Reports indicate that NCOs have been subject to numerous extraordinary inspections, with the legal ground of these inspections remaining unclear and the extent of documents required during them differing quite substantively.”

On 15 July 2013 the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe issued an Opinion on the Legislation of the Russian Federation on Non-Commercial Organisations in light of Council of Europe Standards. The Commissioner reiterated some observations of the Venice Commission as to the terms “foreign agent” and the definition of political activity, and stated that the legislation regulating the activities of NGOs in Russia should be revised, with the aim of establishing a clear, coherent and consistent framework in line with applicable international standards. Reporting and accounting requirements should be the same for all NGOs, regardless of the sources of their income. They should be transparent and coherent and not interfere with NGOs’ ongoing daily work. There should be no more than one governmental institution dealing with issues such as registering, reporting, regulating and overseeing the work of the NGOs. Other agencies should exercise their supervisory powers only in cases where there were reasonable and objective grounds to believe that the organisation in question had violated its legal obligations.

On 9 July 2015 the above document was updated and a new opinion was issued entitled Legislation and Practice in the Russian Federation on Non‑Commercial Organisations in light of Council of Europe Standards: an Update. The Commissioner analysed the domestic case-law and found that as of 29 June 2015 there had been at least 189 cases brought before first‑instance and appellate domestic courts in respect of the application of the legislation on foreign agents. Of those, at least twenty-eight judicial decisions had been delivered in favour of the NGOs concerned, while at least 121 judicial decisions had found that the law had been correctly applied against the NGOs. In at least fifty-five of the cases, the judicial decisions had already entered into force. As a result of the application of the legislation on foreign agents, at least twenty NGOs in the country had ceased their activity either in full (for example, by terminating their operations voluntarily or suspending their activity) or in part (for example, by closing specific projects) (see the Opinion of 9 July 2015 on Legislation and Practice in the Russian Federation on Non-Commercial Organisations in light of Council of Europe Standards: an Update, pp. 4-5).

The Commissioner further noted that the recommendations in his previous Opinion had not been implemented, and made the following recommendations:

“The Commissioner calls on the Russian authorities to revise the legislation on non‑commercial organisations in order to establish a clear, coherent and consistent framework in line with applicable European and international standards ... In particular, the legislative revision should entail:the use of clear definitions in the legislation allowing to foresee the legal consequences of its implementation;avoiding the use of stigmatising language such as ‘foreign agent’ towards NCOs;non-discriminatory legal provisions, including in the field of reporting and sanctioning of NCOs, irrespective of the sources of their funding;application of the ‘pressing social need’ criteria for any State interference with the freedoms of association and expression, including the imposition of sanctions;limiting State interference in NCO activities to setting up clear and non-biased standards of transparency and reporting;application of sanctions only as measures of the last resort in full compliance with the principle of proportionality;revocation of provisions establishing criminal prosecution of NCO staff in cases which normally fall under administrative procedures.”

COMPLAINTS

Joint complaints

The applicants in all cases complain under Articles 10 and 11 regarding the quality of the Foreign Agents Act, their persecution for failing to register as foreign agents, and excessive State control.

Individual complaints

The applicants in cases nos. 9988/13, 48431/14, 4798/15, 7098/15, 13474/15, 14070/15, 24773/15, 25934/15, 27654/15, 32412/15, 32423/15, 37043/15, 42351/15, 44403/15, 47695/15, 49258/15, 52257/15, 55272/15, 55280/15, 57310/15, 57931/15, 60400/15, 1786/16, 3085/16, 5941/16, 15098/16, 19719/16, 26169/16, 26303/16, 33734/16, 35816/16, 48049/16, 59985/16, 61699/16, 61732/16, 61989/16, 69826/16, 76854/16 and 9076/17 complain under Articles 10, 11 and 14 that they are subjected to discrimination and to restrictions and excessive reporting obligations while other NGOs are exempt from such duties.

The applicants in cases nos. 9988/13, 15098/16 and 26303/16 complain under Articles 10, 11 and 18 that their freedom of expression and association was restricted for purposes other than those prescribed by the Convention.

QUESTIONS TO THE PARTIES

1. In respect of all the applicants, was there a violation of Articles 10 and 11 of the Convention? In particular:

(a) Do the provisions of the Foreign Agents Act meet the “quality of law” requirements contained in Article 10 § 2 and Article 11 § 2 of the Convention? In particular:

(i) Is the definition of the term “foreign agent” sufficiently clear and foreseeable?

(ii) Are the provisions on foreign financing foreseeable? Does Russian law establish any specific amount, period or form of foreign financing in order for an entity to be recognised a foreign agent?

(iii) Is the definition of “political activity” sufficiently clear and foreseeable in its application?

(iv) Are the labelling requirements formulated with sufficient clarity? Does the national law prescribe with sufficient clarity what material requires labelling or from where the material should originate?

(v) Is the amount of the fine for failure to register as a foreign agent sufficiently foreseeable?

(b) Was the interference “necessary in a democratic society”? Were the reasons for the interference “relevant” and “sufficient”? In particular:

(i) Were the negative connotations of the term “foreign agents” considered when choosing a name for organisations receiving foreign funding? Was such branding “necessary in a democratic society”?

(ii) Was the restriction of applicants’ access to foreign funding “necessary in a democratic society”? What were the consequences of such restriction in terms of the availability of alternative funding? The Government are requested to illustrate their response with specific examples.

(iii) Did registration as a foreign agent have an impact on the applicants’ ability to freely express their ideas and carry out political activity? Was the suppression of the applicant organisations’ free debate and political activities necessary in a democratic society?

(iv) Are the additional reporting requirements applicable to the applicant organisations – such as labelling publications, keeping separate records of income or expenses obtained from foreign sources, submitting reports on activities and the composition of their management bodies, and auditing – proportionate to the aim pursued, and do they impose an excessive burden on the applicants?

(v) Are the sanctions for violation of the Foreign Agents Act proportionate to the gravity of the imputed offences? Did the domestic courts weigh the amount of a fine against the financial standing of an applicant organisation and the potential impact of the fine on the organisation’s sustainability?

2. As regards the applicants who rely on Article 14, have they suffered discrimination in the enjoyment of their Convention rights on account of their being labelled as foreign agents, contrary to Article 14 of the Convention, read in conjunction with Articles 10 and 11?

3. Were the restrictions imposed by the State on the applicant organisations, ostensibly pursuant to Articles 10 and 11 of the Convention, applied for purposes other than those envisaged by these provisions, contrary to Article 18 of the Convention?

APPENDIX – FACTS OF INDIVIDUAL CASES

Public Initiatives Support Centre v. Russia

(application no. 14338/14, lodged on 12.02.2014)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Некоммерческая организация Фонд "Костромской центр поддержки общественных инициатив"

Director of the applicant organisation (the second applicant): Aleksandr Pavlovich Zamaryanov

Representative before the Court: D. Gaynutdinov

Place of registration: Kostroma

Mission of the applicant organisation: Supporting charitable causes and various initiatives in the non-profit sector.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 05.06.2014

Date deleted from the register: 19.06.2015

Reason for deletion: Stopped being a foreign agent

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Kostroma Prosecutor’s Office, April 2013.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Organising a round table discussion on relations between the United States and Russia; observing the elections in March 2013, and making information on these and other events available to the public.

Foreign funder(s): United States Department of State, United States Embassy and International Republican Institute

Judicial decisions: (1) 29 May 2013, Justice of the Peace of the First Court Circuit of Kostroma, fines for failure to register as a foreign agent; (2) 8 April 2014, Constitutional Court.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None

Social Policy and Gender Studies Centre v. Russia

(application no. 59787/14, lodged on 15.08.2014)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Автономная некоммерческая научно-исследовательская организация "Центр социальной политики и гендерных исследований"

Representative before the Court: D. Bartenev

Place of registration: Saratov

Mission of the applicant organisation: Research in the field of social and gender policy.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 05.06.2014

Date deleted from the register: 22.05.2015

Reason for deletion: Liquidated

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Prosecutor’s Office of the Oktyabrskiy District of Saratov, September 2013.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Organising an event to discuss social policy in the post-Soviet era and posting on a website a letter from Dutch NGOs and other publications in support of the Centre; informing the public about the Centre’s aims, including application of the principle of reflective critique to social policy research.

Foreign funder(s): MacArthur Foundation, OSIAF

Judicial decisions: 27 November 2013, Kirovskiy District Court of Saratov, allowing the prosecutor’s claim for forced registration.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection

Regional Golos v. Russia

(application no. 9988/13, lodged on 06.02.2013)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Региональная общественная организация в защиту демократических прав и свобод "ГОЛОС"

Representative before the Court: P. Leach

Place of registration: Moscow

Mission of the applicant organisation: Protection of voters’ rights and free elections; interaction between individuals and local authorities.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 05.06.2014

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Moscow Prosecutor’s Office, April 2013.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Contributing to discussions on municipal governance; drafting amendments to Acts on constitutional rights and the protection of public interests; providing information on how to protect constitutional rights and public interests; interacting with authorities; pursuing a political agenda by influencing the opinion of persons professionally engaged or interested in politics, including State agents and journalists, with regard to State policy in Russia; promoting a draft elections code; interviews with Ms Shibanova, Chair of the Board of the Regional Golos Organisation, in which she expressed her opinion on new election laws.

Foreign funder(s): NED, European Commission and Norwegian Helsinki Committee

Judicial decisions: (1) 10 July 2013, Zamoskvoretskiy District Court of Moscow held that the prosecutor’s actions had been lawful; (2) 6 June 2013, Justice of the Peace of the Basmanny District of Moscow, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: The court found that the notion of political activity in the Foreign Agents Act did not lend itself to precise definition, and might include various activities and events (publishing information in the mass media, posting information on the Internet, public discussions and other public events, collecting signatures, and so on), the most important criterion for classifying an action as political activity being its impact on State authorities’ decisions, legislation and public opinion.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Article 14); limitation on use of restrictions on rights (Article 18)

Golos Association v. Russia

(application no. 9988/13, lodged on 06.02.2013)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Ассоциация некоммерческих организаций "В защиту прав избирателей "ГОЛОС"

Director of the applicant organisation (the second applicant): Liliya Vasilyevna Shibanova

Representative before the Court: P. Leach

Place of registration: Moscow

Mission of the applicant organisation: Monitoring elections and promoting protection of voters’ rights.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 05.06.2014

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: (1) Ministry of Justice, April 2013; (2) Moscow Prosecutor’s Office, April 2013.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Contribution to the adoption of a new elections code; an interview in which the Director of the Golos Association stated her intention to change the situation with regard to elections; the participation of the Director of the Golos Association in various debates on the elections code; organisation of public events to promote a draft elections code; contribution to debates on this code; posting the code on its website.

Foreign funder(s): Norwegian Helsinki Committee

Judicial decisions: (1) 29 April 2013, Justice of the Peace of the Presneniskiy District, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent; (2) 24 June 2014, Zamoskvoretskiy District Court of Moscow held that the prosecutor’s actions had been justified; (3) 29 April 2013, Justice of the Peace of the Presneniskiy District fined Ms Shibanova for failure to register the Golos Association as a foreign agent; (4) 8 April 2014, Constitutional Court.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: (1) The court established that the Golos Association had returned the Andrei Sakharov Freedom Award, but this had no legal effect, as foreign financing was considered completed when funds were credited to the association’s account (2) The appeal court held that, by choosing the name “‘Golos’ Association for the Protection of Voting Rights”, preparing and distributing information on amendments to laws and views on State authorities’ decisions and policy, the Golos Association had engaged in political activity. Taking into account the way in which legislative initiatives had been described on the applicant’s website and the objectives listed in its statute, the court concluded that the applicant had attempted to encourage Parliament to adopt laws governing State elections and elections to municipal bodies, and to influence policy as well as gain public prominence and attract the attention of the State and civil society..

Other complaints: Discrimination (Article 14); limitation on use of restrictions on rights (Article 18)

Union "Women of Don" v. Russia

(application no. 7098/15, lodged on 28.01.2015)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Региональная общественная правозащитная организация "Союз "Женщины Дона"

Representative before the Court: K. Koroteyev

Place of registration: Novocherkassk

Mission of the applicant organisation: Protecting human rights; protecting civil, political, economic and social rights of women; promoting independency of women; engaging women in State government; promoting family values; promoting peace and good relations in society, fight against nationalism and chauvinism; supporting traditions; protecting the rights of the child and the youth; promoting market economy and entrepreneurship, including support of female entrepreneurs; broadening cooperation with women’s organisations.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 05.06.2014

Date deleted from the register: 29.02.2016

Reason for deletion: Stopped being a foreign agent

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: (1) Prosecutor’s office of Novocherkassk, April 2014; (2) Rostov Region Justice Department, April-May 2014.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Promoting the police reform, suggesting amendments to the laws, including Criminal Code, organising round-table discussions and posting information on this subject on a website; organising a seminar on fight against repeated crimes in the Southern Federal District of Russia with representatives of the migration service and social service institutions, regional ombudsman, Russian and international experts; holding a seminar on human rights, rights of the child and juvenal justice; organising discussions on Nuremberg trials, situation of S. Magnitskiy, a Russian lawyer whose death in custody came to the attention of international community, communication in social networks, assisting the families at risk; widening the scope of activities in Russian regions; supporting public leaders; asking the Russian President to release M. Savva, the director of an NGO and a public leader in Krasnodar Region; promoting penitentiary system reform, visiting prisoners and asking them to support the applicant’s activities.

Foreign funder(s): Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, European Union, Freedom House, MacArthur Foundation, OSIAF, USA Embassy, Heinrich Böll Foundation, OWEN

Judicial decisions: (1) 14 May 2014, Novocherkassk Town Court, allowing the prosecutor’s claim for forced registration; (2) 11 July 2014, Justice of the Peace of the Novocherkasskiy Court District, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent; (3) 9 December 2014, Zamoskvoretskiy District Court of Moscow, rejecting the applicant’s claim regarding forced registration.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspections.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Agora Association v. Russia

(application no. 24773/15, lodged on 18.05.2015)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Межрегиональная Ассоциация правозащитных общественных организаций "Правозащитная ассоциация"

Representative before the Court: I. Khrunova

Place of registration: Kazan

Mission of the applicant organisation: Providing free legal assistance to entities and individuals.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 21.07.2014

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: (1) Prosecutor’s Office of the Vakhitovskiy District of Kazan, March-June 2014; (2) Tatarstan Justice Department, October 2015.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Contributing to the development of Internet without restrictions (by clarifying how to apply the “Blacklist Law” on the censorship of Internet publications) and contributing to changing State Internet policy; monitoring freedom of expression on the Internet; publishing reports on human rights violations on the Internet and reports on social control in detention facilities; contributing to the protection of Internet activists, NGOs and the education of human rights lawyers; suggesting that Russian law-enforcement authorities be restructured; the participation of the applicant’s director in the work of the Permanent Commission for the Development of NGOs of the President’s Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, which pursued political goals. The Agora Association was also engaged in an anti-corruption review of laws.

Foreign funder(s): British Embassy, NED and Internews Network

Judicial decisions: (1) 30 September 2014, Vakhitovskiy District Court of Kazan held that the prosecutor’s actions were lawful; (2) 11 November 2015 (three judgments) and 14 December 2015 (two judgments), Vakhitovskiy District Court of Kazan, fines for failure to label publications; (3) 10 February 2016, Supreme Court of Tatarstan, liquidation at the Ministry of Justice’s request for failure to comply with the law, in particular, for violation of the labelling requirement.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None.

Other complaints: Violation of the labelling requirements (Article 10); liquidation (Article 11); discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Human Rights Centre "Memorial" v. Russia

(application no. 9988/13, lodged on 06.02.2013)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Межрегиональная общественная организация Правозащитный Центр "Мемориал"

Representative before the Court: P. Leach

Place of registration: Moscow

Mission of the applicant organisation: Working on various projects in the field of human rights, in particular, litigation at the European Court of Human Rights; monitoring violations in the North Caucasus and Central Asia, and breaches of criminal procedure; providing protection for victims of political persecution, legal assistance for migrants, and protection for minorities.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 21.07.2014

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Moscow Prosecutor’s Office, March-April 2013.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Organising events aimed at promoting human rights, the rule of law and democratic values; posting a database on politically motivated arrests in Russia on a website.

Foreign funder(s): NED

Judicial decisions: (1) 24 May 2013, Zamoskvoretskiy District Court held that the inspection had been justified (2) 23 May 2014, Zamoskvoretskiy District Court of Moscow found that the prosecutor’s application to remedy the violations had been lawful (3) 11 March 2015, Tverskoy District Court of Moscow held the Ministry of Justice’s decision to put the applicant on the list of foreign agents was lawful; (4) 7 September 2015, Justice of the Peace of the Tverskoy District of Moscow, fine for failure to label publications.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: (1) The court stated that the inspection had been justified as, according to its statutes, HRC Memorial had been financed from abroad and had pursued political goals, such as the dissemination of information on human rights violations and totalitarian States’ crimes (2)The court established that, in its publications, the applicant had given its opinion on State authorities’ decisions in order to trigger a reaction and draw attention to the fact that the State might prosecute individuals even for legitimate activities; and had qualified the State authorities’ decisions as politically motivated and disseminated the personal data of State officials.

Other complaints: Violation of labelling requirement (Article 10); discrimination (Article 14); limitation on use of restrictions on rights (Article 18)

Ecodefence v. Russia

(application no. 9988/13, lodged on 06.02.2013)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Калининградская региональная общественная организация "Экозащита!-Женсовет"

Representative before the Court: P. Leach

Place of registration: Kaliningrad

Mission of the applicant organisation: Promoting awareness of environmental issues.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 21.07.2014

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Kaliningrad Region Justice Department, June 2014.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Participating in protests against the construction of the Baltic Nuclear Power Station; promoting Russia’s accession to the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, and the Espoo Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context; and contributing to the development of education and initiatives in the environmental field.

Foreign funder(s): Ecoinitiative, Heinrich Böll Foundation, Nordic Council of Ministers

Judicial decisions: 8 September 2014, Justice of the Peace of the Moskovskiy District, fine for a failure to register as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Article 14); limitation on use of restrictions on rights (Article 18)

Public Verdict v. Russia

(application no. 9988/13, lodged on 06.02.2013)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Фонд содействия защите прав и свобод граждан "Общественный вердикт"

Representative before the Court: P. Leach

Place of registration: Moscow

Mission of the applicant organisation: Providing assistance for victims of law-enforcement agencies’ abuses of power.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 21.07.2014

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Moscow Prosecutor’s Office, March-May 2013.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Making recommendations on the legislation relating to associations, meetings and demonstrations and the reform of the Ministry of Internal Affairs; assisting protesters on Bolotnaya Square in Moscow; drafting a report on the implementation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in Russia; making comments on federal laws..

Foreign funder(s): Oak Foundation, OSIAF, Norwegian Helsinki Committee, NED, and MacArthur Foundation

Judicial decisions: 27 June 2014, Zamoskvoretskiy District Court of Moscow upheld the prosecutor’s findings.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The court fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Article 14); limitation on use of restrictions on rights (Article 18)

Soldiers’ Mothers of St Petersburg v. Russia

(application no. 26303/16, lodged on 21.04.2016)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Санкт-Петербургская региональная общественная правозащитная организация "Солдатские матери Санкт-Петербурга"

Representative before the Court: A. Peredruk

Place of registration: St Petersburg

Mission of the applicant organisation: Protecting the rights of conscripts, military personnel and their families.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 28.08.2014

Date deleted from the register: 23.10.2015

Reason for deletion: Stopped being a foreign agent

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: St Petersburg Prosecutor’s Office, April-July 2014.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Posting on its website publications about military action in the Crimea, reports on torture in the Russian army, and the human rights of military personnel and civilians, which were used by the St Petersburg Ombudsman in his human rights report.

Foreign funder(s): NED, United Nations and European Union

Judicial decisions: (1) 26 February 2015, Oktyabrskiy District Court of St Petersburg held that the prosecutor’s actions were lawful; (2) 26 January 2015, Oktyabrskiy District Court of St Petersburg rejected the applicant’s claim regarding forced registration.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: The courts established that on 26 May 2014 the Soldiers’ Mothers had decided to stop being financed by foreign sources. However, this decision did not affect the lawfulness of the prosecutor’s findings. Moreover, even though the Soldiers’ Mothers had removed the publication about military action in the Crimea from its website, this had been replaced with a statement of a political nature on the situation in Ukraine, made by the President’s Council for Civil Society and Human Rights. The courts concluded that publications which were accessible to the public and related to social life, State governance, and State policy and decisions undoubtedly aimed to shape public opinion. The courts also classified a religious event (a prayer on 14 September 2012 for people to be delivered from President Putin) organised by the Soldiers’ Mothers as a political action. The courts also noted that the objectives indicated in the Soldiers’ Mothers’ statutes had no legal bearing on the determination of foreign agent status. In the courts’ opinion, when determining whether an organisation fell within the definition of a foreign agent, it was important to assess the actual actions of an organisation. Finally, according to the courts, the Foreign Agents Act did not contain any prohibitions and did not aim to restrict rights or cause damage, and accordingly it complied with international standards..

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14); limitation on use of restrictions on rights (Article 18)

Freedom of Information Fund (FIF) v. Russia

(application no. 25934/15, lodged on 26.05.2015)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Фонд "Институт Развития Свободы Информации"

Representative before the Court: I. Khrunova

Place of registration: St Petersburg

Mission of the applicant organisation: Promoting freedom of information and the right to seek and receive information; contributing to transparency in State governance.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 28.08.2014

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Prosecutor’s Office of the Tsentralnyy District of St Petersburg, March-July 2013 and January 2014.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Discussing with the American President the existing political and social situation in Russia, the activities of the Open Governments Partnership (a multilateral initiative promoting government transparency), Russian laws on extremism, harmful information, children’s rights and the protection of intellectual property rights restricting Internet freedom; making information on the above discussion available to the general public; posting a publication on its website on amendments to Russian laws on personal data, access to classified information and prosecutors’ powers, comparing these laws with international standards and giving a negative assessment of the laws; organising voting to determine those who had contributed to freedom of information and those who had impeded transparency; convincing the public of authorities’ ineffectiveness in this field; participating in a summit of the Open Governments Partnership and providing misleading information on State authorities to the Partnership’s members; monitoring State authorities’ websites and making its findings available to the public.

Foreign funder(s): NED

Judicial decisions: 5 September 2014, Moskovskiy District Court of St Petersburg held that the prosecutor’s actions were lawful.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Partnership for Development v. Russia

(application no. 14070/15, lodged on 03.03.2015)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Ассоциация "Партнерство для развития" (Саратовская региональная общественная благотворительная организация)

Director of the applicant organisation (the second applicant): Olga Nikolayevna Pitsunova

Representative before the Court: I. Khrunova

Place of registration: Saratov

Mission of the applicant organisation: Protection of public interests (primarily in the field of ecology); resolution of urgent issues affecting Saratov and the Saratov Region; contribution to charities and policy-making.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 02.10.2014

Date deleted from the register: 06.11.2015

Reason for deletion: Liquidated

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Prosecutor’s Office of the Kirovskiy District of Saratov, June-July 2014.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Posting publications on environmental problems in the Saratov Region on its website; creating a website for monitoring and criticising authorities’ actions; promoting the idea of civic engagement; encouraging protest actions before elections in Saratov.

Foreign funder(s): United States Government and the United States Embassy

Judicial decisions: (1) 24 September 2014, Kirovskiy District Court of Saratov, allowing the prosecutor’s claim for forced registration; (2) 6 and 11 August 2014, Justice of the Peace of the Kirovskiy District, fines for failure to register as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: The court referred, inter alia, to Internet publications criticising authorities’ actions in the environmental field, in which Ms Pitsunova had given a negative evaluation of existing State policy, had made anti-government statements and had tried to shape public opinion with regard to State policy in Russia and the Saratov Region.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

M v. Russia

(application no. 61732/16, lodged on 21.10.2016)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Частное учреждение "Информационное агентство МЕМО. РУ"

Representative before the Court: K. Koroteyev

Place of registration: Moscow

Mission of the applicant organisation: Analysing and distributing information; contributing to the development of civil society, a democratic State and democratic values; educating and shaping public conscience; fighting totalitarian stereotypes; resolving conflict peacefully; establishing the independent mass media; posting information on NGOs on its website; creating databases.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 20.11.2014

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Moscow Justice Department, October-November 2014.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: The “Caucasian Node" project, which distributed information on the events in the North Caucasus, including violations of human rights; organising broadcasting on Twitter on mayoral elections and a meeting to protest against the transfer of a part of Dagestan territory to Azerbaijan; posting on a website publications on actions to support A. Navalnyy, a Russian political activist and opposition leader, and publications on political opposition meetings, violations of electoral procedure, terrorist attacks in Russia, and illegal migration; posting the results of a research project on Russian citizens’ expectations regarding the situation in the Caucasus region on a website.

Foreign funder(s): OSIA, Norwegian Helsinki Committee, NED, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Human Rights Defenders, ICCD, Human Rights House, SIDA, Oak Foundation, Ford Foundation, Internews Network, Embassies of Germany, United Kingdom and the Netherlands in Russia

Judicial decisions: (1) 10 December 2014, Justice of the Peace of the Tverskoy District of Moscow, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent; (2) 18 May 2015, Gagarinskiy District Court of Moscow held that the inspection and the Ministry of Justice’s decision to put the applicant on the list of foreign agents were lawful (3) 29 March and 29 June 2016, Tverskoy District Court of Moscow, two fines for failure to label publications.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Article 10, 11 and 14)

Regional Press Institute v. Russia

(application no. 32412/15, lodged on 24.06.2015)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Некоммерческое партнерство "Институт региональной прессы"

Representative before the Court: I. Khrunova

Place of registration: St Petersburg

Mission of the applicant organisation: Organising seminars and conferences related to the mass media; providing legal assistance; implementing educational programmes and projects in the field of mass communication.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 20.11.2014

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: St Petersburg Justice Department, September-October 2014.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Posting publications on a website criticising the existing laws on municipal governance; organising a seminar on local democracy and governance; and presenting a book on revolution.

Foreign funder(s): OSIAF, IMS, Danish School of Media and Journalism, Nordic Council of Ministers, New Eurasia Foundation, and Nordic Journalist Centre

Judicial decisions: 9 December 2014, Justice of the Peace of Court Circuit no. 206, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Moscow School of Civil Education (MSCE) v. Russia

(application no. 27654/15, lodged on 03.06.2015)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Автономная некоммерческая организация "Московская школа гражданского просвещения"

Representative before the Court: I. Khrunova

Place of registration: Moscow

Mission of the applicant organisation: Promoting democratic values, the rule of law, civil society, and dialogue between international experts, young political leaders and State officials.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 09.12.2014

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Moscow Justice Department, July-August 2014.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Live broadcasting of online discussions with famous Russian and foreign experts on law, society, politics, economics, the mass media and culture; discussions, seminars and lectures on elections in Russia, relations between Russia and Ukraine, Russian external policy, the political regime in Russia, Russian legislative procedure, and Russian policy after the USSR; inviting experts to speak who made statements criticising Russian laws and giving their personal assessment of the political situation in Russia, describing it as an “authoritarian regime” and “a complete outrage”.

Foreign funder(s): Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, EWC, OSIAF, Council of Europe, Embassies of the Netherlands and Finland, MacArthur Foundation, NUPI, German-Russian Forum and SITE

Judicial decisions: 23 December 2014, Justice of the Peace of the Tverskoy District of Moscow, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: The courts held that the MSCE’s employees had not publicly expressed their political views, however, by disseminating the views of various politicians among the general public, the MSCE had influenced public opinion.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Article 10, 11 and 14)

Rakurs v. Russia

(application no. 44403/15, lodged on 04.09.2015)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Архангельская региональная общественная организация социально-психологической и правовой помощи лесбиянкам, геям, бисексуалам и трансгендерам (ЛГБТ) "Ракурс"

Representative before the Court: I. Khrunova

Place of registration: Arkhangelsk

Mission of the applicant organisation: Protecting human dignity, rights and interests of victims of homophobia and discrimination; support and rehabilitation of LGBTs.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 15.12.2014

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Arkhangelsk and Nenetskiy Region Justice Department, November-December 2014.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Organising a seminar on communication problems between homosexuals and physicians, a round-table discussion on facts and myths relating to homosexuals and bisexuals; promoting non-discrimination and fighting against discrimination on the ground of sexual orientation; holding a training for medical doctors on prevention of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases in homosexual community; psychological assistance to the LGBTs’ next-of-kin; organising seminars on transgender issue, legal formalities in case of gender reassignment, “coming out” initiatives; protesting against the law on propaganda of homosexuality and advocating for protection of transgender people’s rights; meeting with representatives of the “Yabloko”, Russian opposition party; organising a round-table discussion on xenophobia and stigmatising and posting publication on this issue on a website; assisting to MSMs (men who have sex with men); discussing laws relating to LGBT community; participating in seminars on HIV prevention and on LGBT movement; organising flash mobs against discrimination of LGBTs; organising training on how to engage more volunteers to assist LGBTs; discussion on the issue of gender and gender equality; organising trainings on LGBTs’ health issues and posting information on this training on the Internet, security issues and rights of LGBTs in Russia; promoting amendments to Russian law to protect the LGBT community; distributing materials on discrimination on the ground of sexual orientation, submitting these materials to a library; storing materials on unisexual families, status of LGBTs, discrimination on the ground of sex orientation, a flyer describing a “homophobic law” adopted by the St.-Petersburg parliament; meeting with representatives of the USA parliament; making statements on discrimination of LGBTs in Russia on CNN, American television channel.

Foreign funder(s): Nordic Council of Ministers, Oslo Universitetssykehus HF, Civil Rights Defenders, OSIAF, Purpose Action Ins., Stichting Internationaal Onderwijs, Front Line Defenders, NED, Arcus Operating Foundation, Embassy of the Netherlands

Judicial decisions: 12 February 2015, Justice of the Peace of the Solombalskiy Court District, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Article 10, 11 and 14)

Movement For Human Rights v. Russia

(application no. 9988/13, lodged on 06.02.2013)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Общероссийское общественное движение защиты прав человека "За права человека"

Representative before the Court: P. Leach

Place of registration: Moscow

Mission of the applicant organisation: Protection against arbitrariness of the law-enforcement authorities; social security issues; children’s rights; assistance with compulsory registration of place of residence; promotion of civil society.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 22.12.2014

Date deleted from the register: 30.12.2015

Reason for deletion: Stopped being a foreign agent

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Moscow Prosecutor’s Office, March 2013.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Publication of brochures on housing, drug control and penal issues; statements critical of the Foreign Agents Act made by the director of the organisation at a press conference.

Foreign funder(s): Freedom House, Mme Caroline Bourget, Mme Delphine Nougayrede

Judicial decisions: (1) 18 April 2013, Justice of the Peace of the Presnenskiy District fined Movement For Human Rights’ director for failure to cooperate with the prosecutor; (2) 16 March 2015, Zamoskvoretskiy District Court of Moscow held that the inspection and the Ministry of Justice’s decision to put the applicant on the list of foreign agents were lawful; (3) 18 March 2015, Justice of the Peace of the Krasnoselskiy District of Moscow, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent; (4) 28 April 2016, Meshchanskiy District Court, three fines for failure to label publications.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Article 14); limitation on use of restrictions on rights (Article 18)

Krasnodar Organisation of University Graduates v. Russia

(application no. 48049/16, lodged on 09.08.2016)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Краснодарская краевая общественная организация выпускников вузов

Representative before the Court: D. Pigoleva

Place of registration: Krasnodar

Mission of the applicant organisation: Coordination of activities relating to the protection of the civil, economic, intellectual and property rights of graduates.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 25.12.2014

Date deleted from the register: 22.04.2016

Reason for deletion: Stopped being a foreign agent

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Krasnodar Region Justice Department, no inspection; participation of a Justice Department’s representative in a conference on the G20 summit, an international forum for governments and central bank governors from 20 major states, organised by the applican.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Organising a conference on the G20 summit; attending a conference on the regional approach to public control of human rights and publishing a presentation on respect for human rights in detention facilities; and making proposals about the regional budget.

Foreign funder(s): Oxfam

Judicial decisions: (1) 27 April 2015, Oktyabrskiy District Court of Krasnodar, rejecting the applicant’s claim for forced registration; (2) 20 February 2015, Justice of the Peace of the Court Circuit No. 55 of Krasnodar, discontinuing administrative proceedings for failure to register as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: Proceedings discontinued as the Justice Department did not comply with the procedure prescribed by law. The appeal court held that the proceedings should be discontinued owing to expiration of the limitation period for instituting administrative proceedings.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Sakharov Centre v. Russia

(application no. 5941/16, lodged on 11.02.2016)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Региональная общественная организация "Общественная комиссия по сохранению наследия академика Сахарова"

Representative before the Court: E. Mezak

Place of registration: Moscow

Mission of the applicant organisation: Promoting democratic values and drawing public attention to the victims of political repression.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 25.12.2014

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Moscow Justice Department, December 2014.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Discussions, lectures and Internet publications on political issues such as criticism of the Russian judicial system, military action in Ukraine, the boycotting of the Olympic Games, the conviction of A. Navalnyy, a Russian political activist and opposition leader, and the Moscow mayoral elections.

Foreign funder(s): Heinrich Böll Foundation’s office in Russia, British Embassy in Russia, Embassy of the Netherlands in Moscow, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, OSIAF, NED, Sakharov Foundation, German Goethe Cultural Centre at the Embassy of Germany in Russia, European Com

Judicial decisions: (1) 23 March 2015, Justice of the Peace of the Taganskiy District of Moscow, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent; (2) 30 September 2015, Justice of the Peace of the Taganskiy District, fine for failure to label a publication.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: The court held that, by disseminating the views of various politicians to the general public, the Sakharov Centre had shaped public opinion and tried to influence State policy. The court also rejected the Sakharov Centre’s argument that the provisions of the Foreign Agents Act violated Article 11 of the Convention, stating that this Article did not apply to the relations between legal entities and the State, and that the purpose of registration as a foreign agent was to promote transparency of the NGOs.

Other complaints: Violation of labelling requirement (Article 10); discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Citizens’ Watch v. Russia

(application no. 9988/13, lodged on 06.02.2013)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Санкт-Петербургская общественная правозащитная организация "Гражданский контроль"

Representative before the Court: P. Leach

Place of registration: St Petersburg

Mission of the applicant organisation: Protection of human rights in various areas, including the transparency of justice, access to justice, the fight against xenophobia and racial intolerance.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 30.12.2014

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Tsentralnyy District prosecutor in St Petersburg, March 2013.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Disseminating a publication on mediation in courts critical of Russian laws; organising a training course on probation in the penal system taught by foreign professors, and a seminar on a transparent judicial system; discussing and independently interpreting Russian laws and the implementation of rules on probation.

Foreign funder(s): MacArthur Foundation, OSIAF, Ministry for International Affairs of Denmark, Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Fritt Ord Foundation, British Embassy and the General Consulate of the Netherlands in St Petersburg

Judicial decisions: 13 April 2015, Smolninskiy District Court in St Petersburg,.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: The court rejected Citizens’ Watch’s argument that its publications presented research findings rather than opinions on political issues, and emphasised that the publications contained a negative assessment of Russian laws, which aimed to shape public opinion and authorities’ decisions. In the court’s view, the assessment and interpretation of laws and critical remarks about the effectiveness of the authorities’ actions did not fall within the notion of research. The court also rejected the submission that the criticism expressed by different speakers at the meeting was not that of the applicant organisation, but the speakers themselves.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14); limitation on use of restrictions on rights (Article 18)

Renaissance Centre v. Russia

(application no. 37256/16, lodged on 19.06.2016)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Автономная некоммерческая организация "Центр социального проектирования "Возрождение"

Representative before the Court: M. Olenichev

Place of registration: Pskov

Mission of the applicant organisation: Contributing to the development of civil society.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 30.12.2014

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Pskov Region Prosecutor’s Office, December 2014.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Arranging for its founder, Mr Shlosberg, a member of the political opposition and the regional parliament, to participate in a discussion on the international adoption of children and the “Dima Yakovlev Law” prohibiting the adoption of Russian children by American families.

Foreign funder(s): NED

Judicial decisions: 29 September 2015, the Zamoskvoretskiy District Court of Moscow rejected the applicant’s claim regarding forced registration.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection

Man and Law v. Russia

(application no. 13474/15, lodged on 28.02.2015)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Межрегиональная общественная организация "Человек и Закон"

Representative before the Court: I. Khrunova

Place of registration: Yoshkar-Ola

Mission of the applicant organisation: Protection of individuals’ human rights in their relations with State authorities.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 30.12.2014

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Mari-El Justice Department, November-December 2014.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Organising a conference on the protection of human rights and preparing recommendations on human rights for state officials and seminars on human rights in Russia; publishing on its website publications containing analysis and evaluation of State authorities’ decisions, including those criticising the actions of local police; organising education programmes for State officials on the dialogue between the State and civil society; encouraging its representatives’ participation in the Mari-El Public Monitoring Committee, and contributing to the development of NGOs and public monitoring committees.

Foreign funder(s): MacArthur Foundation, OSIAF, Embassy of the Netherlands, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Danish Institute for Human Rights, Czech Republic, and Council of Europe

Judicial decisions: 30 December 2014, Justice of the Peace of Yoshkar-Olinskiy Court District, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

IEC Memorial v. Russia

(application no. 52257/15, lodged on 13.10.2015)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Межрегиональная общественная организация Информационно-просветительский центр "Мемориал"

Representative before the Court: T. Glushkova

Place of registration: Yekaterinburg

Mission of the applicant organisation: Promoting democracy, human rights, legal education, and the condemnation of totalitarianism.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 16.01.2015

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Sverdlovsk Region Justice Department, December 2014.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Contributing to the creation of a human rights information centre, where people could get information on human rights and the social and political situation in Russia; organising discussion regarding the Russian political line towards Ukraine; participating in discussions on the status of foreign agents; organising an event to remember the victims of political repression (placing posters on Stalinism near the main stage and reading out information about the victims of repression and the State bodies which had convicted them); holding individual protests to distribute flyers, saying that it was common practice for the State to consider a human being as a means to an end, and suggesting that some questions should be answered about the Constitution and its importance.

Foreign funder(s): NED

Judicial decisions: (1) 27 March 2015, Kirovskiy District Court of Yekaterinburg held that the Justice Department’s actions had been lawful; (2) 5 March 2015, Justice of the Peace of the Kirovskiy Court District of Yekaterinburg, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent; (3) 27 May 2015, Zamoskvoretskiy District Court of Moscow held that the decision to put the applicant on the list of foreign agents was lawful.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Youth Centre v. Russia

(application no. 60098/15

39446/16, lodged on 20.11.2015

24.06.2016)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Автономная некоммерческая правозащитная организация "Молодежный центр консультации и тренинга"

Director of the applicant organisation (the second applicant): Temur Georgiyevich Kobaliya

Representative before the Court: D. Bartenev

M. Olenichev

Place of registration: Volgograd

Mission of the applicant organisation: Providing legal assistance and supporting the initiatives of young people and NGOs.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 20.01.2015

Date deleted from the register: 22.07.2015

Reason for deletion: Stopped being a foreign agent

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Volgograd Region Justice Department, December 2014.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Supporting NGOs and human rights defenders in the Volgograd Region by organising training sessions and developing civil initiatives; publishing a book with recommendations for activists as to how to strengthen civil society, influence the decisions of State authorities, encourage pressure from the mass media, and involve the opposition; establishing a school for human rights defenders; distributing the above book, an expert opinion on the Foreign Agents Act and a presentation on NGOs’ involvement in social administration; posting publications on its website on the development of NGOs in Georgia; systematically criticising State authorities by trying to influence public opinion and authorities’ decisions and political line, and by trying to gain public resonance; attempting to inform the public about the development of civil society in Russia, youth involvement in NGOs’ work, and how NGOs could shape public opinion and influence decision-making; Mr Kobaliya’s participating in a forum on civil society and relations between Georgia and Russia, aimed at producing dialogue between Russian and Georgian NGOs; popularising Georgian NGOs’ achievements among Russian citizens and the resolution of conflicts between the two countries; Mr Kobaliya’s participating in a discussion on cooperation with regional authorities; and covering Mr Kobaliya’s activities in the country’s mass media and provoking the public’s negative reaction.

Foreign funder(s): NED, Friedrich Ebert Foundation, MacArthur Foundation and BST

Judicial decisions: (1) 3 March 2015, Justice of the Peace of Court Circuit no. 99, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent; (2) 6 and 23 July 2015, Justice of the Peace of Court Circuit no. 99, fines for failure to label publication as originating from a foreign agent (Mr Kobaliya and Youth Centre).

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Violation of labelling requirement (Article 10)

Maximum Centre v. Russia

(application no. 49258/15, lodged on 30.09.2015)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Мурманская региональная общественная организация "Центр социально-психологической помощи и правовой поддержки жертв дискриминации и гомофобии "Максимум"

Representative before the Court: I. Khrunova

Place of registration: Murmansk

Mission of the applicant organisation: Protecting and rehabilitating LGBT persons and protecting their rights; providing legal assistance; contributing to the elimination of discrimination and homophobia.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 04.02.2015

Date deleted from the register: 28.10.2015

Reason for deletion: Liquidated

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Murmansk Region Justice Department, December 2014-January 2015.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Organising a protest against xenophobia, violence and discrimination, “the Rainbow flash mob” on the International Day against Homophobia; supporting school teachers dismissed because of their sexual orientation; lodging applications with State authorities to have protests against xenophobia and discrimination; cooperating with other LGBT organisations; inviting minors to an LGBT centre where material on being LGBT was available; participating in events organised by the Russian LGBT network; publishing statements criticising Russian laws; cooperating with the Regional Youth Human Rights Council.

Foreign funder(s): Civil Rights Defenders, General Consulate of the Netherlands, Arcus Operating Foundation

Judicial decisions: 10 March 2015, Justice of the Peace of the Leninskiy Court District of Murmansk, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Golos-Povolzhye v. Russia

(application no. 32423/15, lodged on 24.06.2015)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Межрегиональный общественный фонд содействия развитию гражданского общества «ГОЛОС Поволжье»

Representative before the Court: I. Khrunova

Place of registration: Samara

Mission of the applicant organisation: Promotion of civil society; protection of human rights; dissemination of legal knowledge.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 06.02.2015

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Samara Region Justice Department, December 2014.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Informing the public about legislation and the protection of human rights and freedoms; monitoring elections; working on proposals and recommendations on human rights and the protection of voting rights; specifying in its statutes that one of its goals is the development of legislation on human rights and free elections; criticising State authorities in interviews and making statements about elections and the work of human rights activists; publishing this information on the Internet and making books on free elections in Russia and ways to fight corruption available to the public.

Foreign funder(s): Fund Golos, which was financed by USAID

Judicial decisions: (1) 16 February 2015, Justice of the Peace of the Samarskiy Court District, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent; (2) 8 April 2014, Constitutional Court.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Siberian Environmental Centre v. Russia

(application no. 57931/15, lodged on 05.11.2015)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Межрегиональная благотворительная общественная организация "Сибирский экологический центр"

Representative before the Court: I. Khrunova

Place of registration: Novosibirsk

Mission of the applicant organisation: Сontributing to the development of protected natural areas and environmental laws; environmental education; public control over respect for environmental laws; organising events to support the protection of the environment.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 12.02.2015

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Novosibirsk Justice Department, January 2015.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Initiative to support Greenpeace’s members who had attacked the Prirazlomnaya oil rig and been criminally prosecuted; a petition addressed to the Russian President asking for the release of the crew of the ship “Arctic Sunrise”; a publication criticising the Federal Parliament’s decision to provide tax benefits to oil companies.

Foreign funder(s): Embassy of the Netherlands, Global Greengrants Fund, Earth Island Institute, UNDP and IUCN

Judicial decisions: 14 April 2015, Justice of the Peace of Sovetskiy Court District of Novosibirsk, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Mass Media Defence Centre v. Russia

(application no. 26169/16, lodged on 29.04.2016)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Региональный Фонд "Центр Защиты Прав Средств Массовой Информации"

Representative before the Court: G. Arapova

Place of registration: Voronezh

Mission of the applicant organisation: Protection of human rights, freedom of expression and mass media rights.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 26.02.2015

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Voronezh Region Justice Department, February 2015.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Publishing a book on extremist legislation in which legal provisions were analysed; the applicant’s director giving an interview for a documentary film on the persecution of journalists, and congratulating the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media on the fifteenth anniversary of its establishment; the applicant’s director being the Chair of the Social Council at the Voronezh Region Internal Affairs Department; making critical statements in public; criticising amendments to existing mass media laws, the quality of parliamentarians’ work, the domestic judicial system, and legal provisions on copyright; interacting with State authorities; monitoring violations of freedom of expression; organising the education of journalists, judges and lawyers; translating and analysing the judgments of the Court; providing legal assistance to publishing houses and journalists; collecting Russian case-law on data protection law; and participating in discussions on access to information and personal data, copyright, the security of journalists, freedom of expression in Russia, ethics in journalism and legal standards, and the distribution of information on the Internet.

Foreign funder(s): Free Word Centre, European Union, MacArthur Foundation and Sigrid Rausing Trust

Judicial decisions: (1) 15 April 2015, Justice of the Peace of the Tsentralnyy Court District, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent; (2) 30 November 2015, Leniskiy District Court of Voronezh, rejecting the applicant’s claim regarding forced registration.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection. The court established that all the applicant’s director’s activities, interviews and comments to the press, in his capacity as director or independent expert on media law, constituted political activity on the part of the applicant organisation which influenced public opinion and aimed to change State regulation of the media..

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Movement “For Nature” v. Russia

(application no. 3085/16, lodged on 21.12.2015)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Челябинское региональное экологическое общественное движение "За природу"

Representative before the Court: I. Khrunova

Place of registration: Chelyabinsk

Mission of the applicant organisation: Protection of the environment.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 06.03.2015

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Chelyabinsk Region Justice Department, January-February 2015.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Promoting environmental values; organising the cleaning of local riverbanks; being involved in a forest conservation campaign; cooperating with State authorities on environmental issues; protesting against the construction of a mining plant; informing the public about the state of the environment via the mass media and its website.

Foreign funder(s): Foundation “For Nature”

Judicial decisions: (1) 12 May 2015, Justice of the Peace of the Tsentralnyy District, establishing that the Movement “For Nature” had not received any funds from foreign organisations and discontinuing the proceedings;

(2) 6 August 2015, Tsentralnyy District Court of Chelyabinsk, quashing that decision and dismissing the case owing to expiration of the limitation period for instituting administrative proceedings

.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Foundation “For Nature” v. Russia

(application no. 3085/16, lodged on 21.12.2015)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Челябинский региональный благотворительный общественный фонд "За природу"

Representative before the Court: I. Khrunova

Place of registration: Chelyabinsk

Mission of the applicant organisation: Protection of the environment.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 06.03.2015

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Chelyabinsk Region Justice Department, January-February 2015.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Promoting the protection of environmental human rights, and activities relating to the protection of the environment and public control over the environment; promoting environmental values, alternative energy sources, environmental education, and so on; organising events to discuss the safe use of nuclear energy and the relevant legal support; organising the cleanup of local riverbanks; contributing to the restoration of forests; publishing articles on environmental issues; analysing ecological situations and posting its findings on a website.

Foreign funder(s): Norges Naturvernforbund

Judicial decisions: 13 May 2015, Justice of the Peace of the Tsentralnyy District, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Humanist Youth Movement v. Russia

(application no. 37043/15, lodged on 13.07.2015)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Мурманская региональная молодежная общественная организация "Гуманистическое движение молодежи"

Representative before the Court: A. Peredruk

Place of registration: Murmansk

Mission of the applicant organisation: Promoting humanist values and social responsibility among young people, legal education, and the communication of young people from various countries.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 13.03.2015

Date deleted from the register: 25.08.2015

Reason for deletion: Liquidated

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Prosecutor’s Office of the Pervomayskiy Administrative District of Murmansk, March-April 2014.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Publishing a newspaper on the protection of human rights, extremist material, and material containing appeals for the State to change its political line; explicit condemnation of the dominant political party and the “totalitarian” manner of governance in Russia.

Foreign funder(s): Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and General Consulate of the Netherlands in St Petersburg

Judicial decisions: 12 November 2014, Pervomyaskiy District Court of Murmansk, allowing the prosecutor’s application for forced registration.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: The courts established that, in the newspaper, the Humanist Youth Movement had tried to convince people of the necessity to change State policy, negatively evaluated the existing political system and top public officials, and induced readers to undertake certain actions..

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Ecology and Security Centre v. Russia

(application no. 42351/15, lodged on 18.08.2015)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Частное учреждение дополнительного профессионального образования "Учебный центр экологии и безопасности"

Representative before the Court: I. Khrunova

Place of registration: Samara

Mission of the applicant organisation: Providing training in the field of ecology; contributing to protection of the environment and the education of young people in the field of ecology; promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 20.03.2015

Date deleted from the register: 08.10.2015

Reason for deletion: Stopped being a foreign agent

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Samara Region Justice Department, December-January 2015.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Promoting the sustainable management of water resources; suggesting amendments to existing laws, incentives and measures in relation to water consumers, and environmental actions; presenting the results of a sociological survey at a round-table discussion with a State official on water consumption laws.

Foreign funder(s): Unclear

Judicial decisions: 10 April 2015, Justice of the Peace of the Oktyabrskiy Court District, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Migration XXI Century v. Russia

(application no. 1786/16, lodged on 23.12.2015)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Фонд поддержки социальных проектов "Миграция XXI век"

Representative before the Court: I. Sharapov

Place of registration: Moscow

Mission of the applicant organisation: Promoting tolerance towards migrants and protecting their labour rights.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 27.03.2015

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Moscow Justice Department, January-February 2015.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Exercising functions of the secretariat of MIRPAL (Migration and Remittances Peer-Assisted Learning Network), a community of migration experts developing recommendations on migration; launching an initiative on a migration amnesty, and organising discussions with the authorities’ representatives on a migration amnesty in Russia, nationality, labour migration, interethnic relations and local authorities’ possible contribution to the resolution of existing issues, the integration of migrants into Russian society, the legal status of migrant workers working on the black market, and foreign labour; preparing a petition to the Federal Parliament on an amnesty for nationals of the former USSR; publishing articles on illegal migration and other reports on a migration amnesty, and the newspaper Migration XXI Century; criticising State migration policy; developing the migration experts’ network for Europe and Central Asia; monitoring migration laws and producing analytical material on migration; establishing a database on experts; suggesting that a migration amnesty should be proclaimed and that federal and local authority powers should be redistributed; lodging applications with State authorities; and distributing material evaluating State authorities’ decisions and migration policy.

Foreign funder(s): FDFA and World Bank

Judicial decisions: 27 April 2015, Justice of the Peace of Court Circuit no. 299 of Moscow, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: The courts established that the members of Migration XXI Century had not shared their own vision of political events, however they had contributed to the dissemination of politicians’ views among the public and had influenced public opinion.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Planet of Hope v. Russia

(application no. 47695/15, lodged on 22.09.2015)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Озерская городская социально-экологическая общественная организация "Планета надежд"

Representative before the Court: I. Khrunova

Place of registration: Ozersk

Mission of the applicant organisation: Fighting against female unemployment; contributing to the protection of the rights of women and children and to conservation of the environment; promoting family values.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 15.04.2015

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Chelyabinsk Region Justice Department, March-April 2015.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Promoting the use of clean energy, particularly solar energy, in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, and publishing material on this subject in the mass media; promoting freedom of movement and protecting the freedom of people living in restricted areas; posting on a website statements by the applicant’s director about the right to a safe environment, the right to receive information on the environment, and the rights of people living in areas contaminated by radiation to recover damages, in addition to her suggestions on amendments to the laws on restricted areas and the social protection of people exposed to radiation; engaging in housing-related judicial proceedings.

Foreign funder(s): NED, Heinrich Böll Foundation and WECF

Judicial decisions: 26 May 2015, Justice of the Peace of Ozersk, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Civic Assistance Committee v. Russia

(application no. 9988/13, lodged on 06.02.2013)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Региональная общественная благотворительная организация помощи беженцам и вынужденным переселенцам "Гражданское содействие"

Representative before the Court: P. Leach

Place of registration: Moscow

Mission of the applicant organisation: Assisting refugees and other displaced persons.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 20.04.2015

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Meshchanskiy District prosecutor in Moscow, March 2015.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Organising events in Grozny, Nalchik, Fiagdon and Magas; organising seminars on the rehabilitation of former prisoners and the detention of Muslims; organising protests against anti-immigration campaigns; supporting prisoners of conscience; and conducting research into corruption.

Foreign funder(s): European Commission, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Swedish Fund for Amnesty International, Norwegian Helsinki Committee and NED

Judicial decisions: 22 July 2014, Meshchanskiy District Court of Moscow rejected the applicant’s claim challenging the prosecutor’s actions.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14); limitation on use of restrictions on rights (Article 18)

Fund 19/29 v. Russia

(application no. 55280/15, lodged on 03.11.2015)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Фонд поддержки расследовательской журналистики - Фонд 19/29

Director of the applicant organisation (the second applicant): Grigoriy Mikhaylovich Pasko

Representative before the Court: I. Sharapov

Place of registration: Moscow

Mission of the applicant organisation: Protection of journalists’ rights and the right to information; the development of civil society in Russia.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 24.04.2015

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Moscow Justice Department, March-April 2015.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Contributing to the education of bloggers in the field of journalists’ rights, ethics, language and investigative journalism; providing training sessions on journalistic investigations and policies relating to blogging, ethics and blogging culture, relations with the authorities and the opposition; publishing material distributed during the training session on a website; criticising State authorities and the Russian President’s political line; publishing information on journalistic investigations on its website; posting blogs of famous opposition activists criticising the Russian political system, the situation in Ukraine, and relations between the authorities and journalists.

Foreign funder(s): NED

Judicial decisions: 8 June 2015, Justice of the Peace of the Presnenskiy District of Moscow, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: The courts also held that the term “foreign financing” included any funds received by an NGO from a foreign source, notwithstanding their classification under civil or tax law, and that, although Fund 19/29’s employees had not expressed publicly their political views, by disseminating the views of various politicians among the general public, Fund 19/29 had influenced public opinion..

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Perm-36 v. Russia

(application no. 19719/16, lodged on 16.03.2016)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Автономная некоммерческая организация "Мемориальный центр истории политических репрессий "Пермь-36"

Director of the applicant organisation (the second applicant): Tatyana Georgiyevna Kursina

Representative before the Court: E. Mezak

Place of registration: Perm

Mission of the applicant organisation: Preserving the history of political repression in the Soviet Union.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 29.04.2015

Date deleted from the register: 18.08.2016

Reason for deletion: Liquidated

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Perm Region Justice Department, February-April 2015.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Promoting the development of museums of conscience and educational projects for improving the quality of education on political repression; organising mobile exhibitions on Stalin’s labour camps and forums on pressing social issues, including national policy, the creation of a tolerant civil society, and the importance of the mass media; posting on its website a publication on the conflict between Perm-36 and the authorities, and the suspension of its management of the Memorial Museum of the History of Political Repression; addressing the Governor of the Perm Region with regard to the creation of a State museum of conscience.

Foreign funder(s): International Coalition of Historic Site Museums of Conscience and NED

Judicial decisions: 17 July 2015, Justice of the Peace of the Motovilikhinskiy Court District, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

OO Sutyazhnik v. Russia

(application no. 14823/17, lodged on 30.01.2017)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Свердловская региональная общественная организация “Сутяжник”

Representative before the Court: A. Burkov

Place of registration: Yekaterinburg

Mission of the applicant organisation: Protection of human rights, legal education, providing free legal assistance.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 15.05.2015

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Sverdlovsk Region Justice Department, April 2015 (no inspection; analysis of the materials submitted by the applicant).

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Organising a training on strategic litigation in the USA, Europe and Russia and a video-presentation on this issue; organising a round-table discussion on the rule of law and democracy in Russia and posting publications on this issue on web-sites; organising a press-conference on interaction between bloggers and officials; posting publication on Internet mass media on the applicant’s web-site.

Foreign funder(s): British Embassy

Judicial decisions: 29 September 2015, Zamoskvoretskiy District Court of Moscow, challenging the Justice Department’s decision to put the applicant on the list of foreign agents, as upheld by the Supreme Court of Russia on 14 November 2016.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the Justice Department’s findings.

Dront Centre v. Russia

(application no. 57310/15, lodged on 13.11.2015)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Нижегородская региональная общественная организация "Экологический центр "Дронт"

Representative before the Court: I. Khrunova

Place of registration: Nizhniy Novgorod

Mission of the applicant organisation: Resolving environmental and social issues; coordinating the activities of environmental NGOs.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 22.05.2015

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Nizhniy Novgorod Justice Department, April-May 2015.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Supporting a referendum initiative in respect of the direct election of town mayors; advocating for the release of a Russian environmental activist, a member of the political opposition, and organising a protest to support him; publishing articles on Russian State policy, statements by an opposition party, statements by the Dront Centre’s management on local authorities’ decisions, and statements by NGOs on environmental principles of State governance; criticising State authorities and Russian laws in the newspaper Bereginya; recommending the ratification of environmental treaties such as the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making, and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, in addition to the amendment of existing environmental laws, the adoption of a new law on environmental control and the establishment of an effective system of environmental control; participating in the evaluation of the impact of a law amending the local Code of Administrative Offences.

Foreign funder(s): FSD, USAID, IWAF and WWF

Judicial decisions: 22 June 2015, Justice of the Peace of the Nizhegorodskiy Court District of Nizhniy Novgorod, fine for failure to register as foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Centre for Social Studies v. Russia

(application no. 10028/16, lodged on 11.02.2016)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Автономная некоммерческая организация "Центр независимых социологических исследований"

Representative before the Court: D. Bartenev

Place of registration: St Petersburg

Mission of the applicant organisation: Conducting sociological studies; disseminating information on social issues; providing training for sociologists and assistance in drafting methodological and scientific material in the fields of sociology, economy, politics and ecology.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 22.06.2015

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: St Petersburg Justice Department, February-March 2015.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Presenting books on independence, training and support in relation to justices of the peace, and on Russian human rights movements in 2011-2013; promoting access to justice for poor people; posting a video on Russian trade unions and their influence on the State’s political line on a website.

Foreign funder(s): Consulate of the Netherlands and JSDF

Judicial decisions: (1) 5 June 2015, Justice of the Peace of Court Circuit no. 206, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent (quashed on 11 April 2016 by the Supreme Court of Russia because the statute of limitation had expired); (2) 9 June 2015, Justice of the Peace of Court Circuit no. 206, fine for failure to comply with the Justice Department’s order to register as a foreign agent; (3) 7 December 2015, Zamoskvoretskiy District Court of Moscow, challenging the decision on forced registration.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection

Freeinform v. Russia

(application no. 55272/15, lodged on 03.11.2015)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Автономная некоммерческая организация "Центр информации "ФРИИНФОРМ"

Representative before the Court: I. Sharapov

Place of registration: Moscow

Mission of the applicant organisation: Supporting educational initiatives and providing information support.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 22.06.2015

Date deleted from the register: 21.06.2016

Reason for deletion: Liquidated

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Moscow Justice Department, April-May 2015.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Raising awareness about the terrorist attack on a school in the town of Beslan; supporting a blog aggregator where human rights defenders and other independent bloggers published their blogs.

Foreign funder(s): NED

Judicial decisions: 29 June 2015, Justice of the Peace of the Zamoskvorechye District, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

KPK Memorial v. Russia

(application no. 15098/16, lodged on 08.03.2016)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Коми региональная общественная организация "Комиссия по защите прав человека "Мемориал"

Representative before the Court: E. Mezak

Place of registration: Syktyvkar

Mission of the applicant organisation: Protecting human rights.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 21.07.2015

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Komi Justice Department, May-June 2015.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Posting on the Internet several publications relating to political issues, particularly A. Navalnyy, a Russian political activist and opposition leader, society’s attitude towards the KPK Memorial, a publishing house producing a newspaper on political and social issues, and unauthorised protests in Syktyvkar.

Foreign funder(s): NED and OSIAF

Judicial decisions: 8 July 2015, Justice of the Peace of the Krasnozatonskiy Court Circuit, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14); limitation on use of restrictions on rights (Article 18)

Green World v. Russia

(application no. 60400/15, lodged on 01.12.2015)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Нижегородская областная социально-экологическая общественная организация "Зеленый мир"

Representative before the Court: I. Khrunova

Place of registration: Nizhniy Novgorod

Mission of the applicant organisation: Protecting the environment and cultural heritage sites.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 29.07.2015

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Nizhniy Novgorod Justice Department, April and July 2015.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Publishing material on the protection of cultural heritage in the mass media, and a newspaper, Bereginya, containing analysis of Russian State policy, criticism of State authorities’ actions with regard to “foreign agents”, statements of the Russian opposition party Yabloko and suggestions as to amendments of existing laws and specific decisions; drafting action plans relating to the protection of specific cultural items; submitting petitions to the local parliament; preparing expert opinions on buildings forming part of the cultural heritage; collecting information on threats to items of cultural heritage and submitting this information to State authorities; initiating judicial proceedings and cooperating with State authorities on the issue of cultural heritage protection; encouraging locals to support its activities in relation to the protection of items of cultural heritage; participating in a forum on interaction between NGOs and civil society; organising the participation of its director in a protest against accession of the Crimea to Russia.

Foreign funder(s): NED

Judicial decisions: 2 October 2015, Justice of the Peace of the Moscow Court District of Nizhniy Novgorod, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: The appeal court stated that Green World’s activities had affected public interests and the rights and freedoms of all, rather than its own interests.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Perm Human Rights Centre (Perm HRC) v. Russia

(application no. 35816/16, lodged on 08.06.2016)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Общественная организация "Пермский региональный правозащитный центр"

Place of registration: Perm

Mission of the applicant organisation: Protecting human rights, particularly those of prisoners and the victims of crimes committed by law-enforcement officers.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 03.09.2015

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Perm Region Justice Department, June-July 2015.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Publications on and participation in discussions on respect for human rights in Perm prisons, the reform of the law-enforcement authorities, the recruitment of staff for human rights organisations, the protection of areas of cultural heritage, the equality of convicted persons, the prison officers’ ethics code, public monitoring committees, gender education, human rights, security and dignity in detention facilities, pro bono legal assistance in Russia, political competition, the interaction between human rights activists, defenders and the LGBT community, civil investigations, public control, amendments to defamation law, the right to work in detention facilities, access to information at police stations and courts, human rights and the work of psychologists in the penal system, the support of juvenile offenders, migrants’ human rights, international cooperation between NGOs, freedom of assembly, the law protecting children from harmful information, Perm’s town charter, the prevention of offences in detention facilities, correctional labour, transparency at the Perm Parliament, the interpretation of information provided by State authorities, the Foreign Agents Act, the right to spa-based therapy in Perm, conditions of detention, and xenophobia; monitoring respect for the right to information and work, children’s rights in Perm detention facilities, the issue of migrants and the Perm labour market, State authorities’ measures on the prevention of crimes and the rehabilitation of criminals; preparing recommendations sent to the authorities; inviting representatives of State authorities to some of the above events; the conviction of a Perm HRC board member, Mr Yushkov, of incitement to extremist actions, and the publication by a founder, Mr Averkiyev, of an article on Russian nationalism, liberalism and sexism on his website.

Foreign funder(s): UNDEF, Macarthur Foundation and European Union

Judicial decisions: 13 October 2015, Justice of the Peace of the Leninskiy Court District, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Golos Fund v. Russia

(application no. 9988/13, lodged on 06.02.2013)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Фонд в поддержку демократии "ГОЛОС"

Representative before the Court: P. Leach

Place of registration: Moscow

Mission of the applicant organisation: Independent observation of elections and the protection of voters’ rights.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 04.09.2015

Date deleted from the register: 21.06.2016

Reason for deletion: Liquidated

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Moscow Prosecutor’s Office, April 2013.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Monitoring elections.

Foreign funder(s): Opona o.p.s. (Czech Republic)

Judicial decisions: 9 July 2013, Basmannyy District Court of Moscow, fine for failure to cooperate with the prosecutor’s office.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14); limitation on use of restrictions on rights (Article 18)

Far East Centre v. Russia

(application no. 53429/16, lodged on 11.10.2016)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Автономная некоммерческая организация "Дальневосточный центр развития гражданских инициатив и социального партнерства"

Representative before the Court: M. Olenichev

Place of registration: Vladivostok

Mission of the applicant organisation: Employee assistance; psychological and legal aid; contribution to social initiatives; the development of legal culture and knowledge; the rehabilitation of disabled, unemployed and vulnerable persons; the promotion of tolerance; the fight against xenophobia, racism and discrimination.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 13.10.2015

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Primorskiy Region Justice Department, October 2015.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Criticising the programme of social and economic development in the Primorskiy Region; making comments on draft laws relating to state officials’ salary, the consumer basket (the base for defining the Consumer Price Index), living wages and social assistance in the Primorskiy Region; making comments on draft guidelines for the financial support of NGOs and foundations; supporting a petition to the Governor of the Primorskiy Region on the regional programme on disabled persons; criticising the work of state authorities in the business domain, including the Ministry of Economic Development, and Russian laws; participating in a conference on social entrepreneurship.

Foreign funder(s): International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF Global), Oxfam, US Russia Foundation for Economic Advancement and the Rule of Law (USRF)

Judicial decisions: 25 December 2015, Leninskiy District Court of Vladivostok, fine for a failure to register as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection

Women of Don v. Russia

(application no. 14980/16, lodged on 02.03.2016)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Фонд содействия развитию гражданского общества и правам человека "Женщины Дона"

Representative before the Court: K. Moskalenko

Place of registration: Novocherkassk

Mission of the applicant organisation: Protection of the rights of the child and human rights; promoting family values, peace and good relations in society; providing support to people in difficult situations.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 27.10.2015

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Rostov Region Justice Department, September-October 2015.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Strengthening women’s organisations; contributing to the resolution of gender-sensitive issues and peacebuilding with the participation of women; advising victims of violence in the Chechen Republic; organising a journalism competition on women’s rights and publishing the results on a website; supporting round-table discussions on young families, traditions and marriage in the Chechen Republic; organising seminars on women’s rights and publishing information on these seminars in newspapers; supporting public leaders and social initiatives; promoting tolerance, responsibility, peace and gender equality; and organising events to discuss these issues in the North Caucasus.

Foreign funder(s): Heinrich Böll Foundation

Judicial decisions: 27 November 2015, Justice of the Peace of Novocherkasskiy Court District, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: The courts emphasised that, by publishing recommendations and information on events in the mass media, and by allowing foreign NGOs to disseminate the information, the Women of the Don had tried to gain public resonance and attract attention to, inter alia, the problems of social leaders in the North Caucasus, developing a mechanism for the exchange of experiences and democratic dialogue, and promoting tolerance, responsibility, peace and gender equality in the North Caucasus.

Baykal Wave v. Russia

(application no. 61699/16, lodged on 13.10.2016)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Иркутская региональная общественная организация "Байкальская Экологическая Волна"

Director of the applicant organisation (the second applicant): M. Rikhvanova, V. Ryabtsev, M. Vorontsov

Representative before the Court: E. Mezak, S. Khromenkov

Place of registration: Irkutsk

Mission of the applicant organisation: Promoting protection of environment and sustainable development; informing the public of environmental challenges; supporting environmental initiatives; promoting participation of the public in decision-making procedures.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 10.11.2015

Date deleted from the register: 01.08.2016

Reason for deletion: Liquidated

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Irkutsk Region Justice Department, October 2015.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Protesting against the Baykal paper mill by posting a publication on a blog and requesting the Government to close the mill and the Parliament to adopt laws protecting the environment in the Baykal area; organising a conference on the negative impact of hydraulic structures on the rivers, protection of rivers, development of ecotourism, environmental education, issuing recommendations relating to the fight against poaching and corruption; participating in public consultations on environmental impact assessment of the solid household waste dump; posting comments by one of the Baykal Wave’s directors on the Foreign Agents Act on a journalist’s personal website; discussing the possibility to found a radioactive metallic waste drop-off depot; request of the Baykal Wave’s director to prohibit agricultural burning submitted to the state authorities; publishing an article on wildfire in the summer of 2015 containing critics of the authorities’ inaction.

Foreign funder(s): Global Greengrants, Pacific Environment, Eurasia Foundation, Norges Naturvernforbund

Judicial decisions: 29 January 2016, Sverdlovskiy District Court of Irkutsk, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent (four judgments in respect of Baykal Wave, Ms Rikhvanova, Mr Vorontsov, Mr Ryabtsev).

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Glasnost Defence Foundation v. Russia

(application no. 69826/16, lodged on 22.11.2016)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Некоммерческая организация "Фонд защиты гласности"

Representative before the Court: T. Misakyan

Place of registration: Moscow

Mission of the applicant organisation: Promoting democratic values and respect for the diversity of views; promoting the right to seek, receive, process, transfer and disseminate information; searching for the ways to guaranty the freedom of thought and expression in Russia; disseminating information on the freedom of expression in Russia.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 19.11.2015

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Moscow Justice Department, October-November 2015.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Establishing the “Bloggers’ School” to promote independent investigative journalism and appointing famous Russian opposition leaders as its lecturers; organising a training on journalist investigations and blogging in Yaroslavl where a lecturer criticised the Russian President’s political line and the Russian elections system, publication of a video on this subject at a website; distributing and publishing on the applicant’s website newsletters with articles on journalists’ investigations in various Russian regions, including an article criticising the minister of economy and the situation with Ukrainian refugees.

Foreign funder(s): Embassy of the Netherlands, MacArthur Foundation, European Union, Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Freedom House

Judicial decisions: (1) 21 March 2016, Khamovnicheskiy District Court of Moscow, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent; (2) 12 April 2016, Gagarinskiy District Court of Moscow held that the inspection was lawful.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Indigenous Peoples’ Centre v. Russia

(application no. 59985/16, lodged on 05/10/2016)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Межрегиональная общественная организация "Центр содействия коренным малочисленным народам Севера"

Representative before the Court: I. Sharapov

Place of registration: Moscow

Mission of the applicant organisation: Assisting the indigenous peoples of the North in Russia.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 27.11.2015

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Moscow Justice Department, October 2015.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Supporting democratic initiatives of the indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East of Russia, organising discussions on the mining operations on indigenous peoples’ land; informing indigenous peoples on combating negative impact of climate change; organising round-table discussions on climate change and its impact on indigenous peoples’ traditional way of life; organising the 7th Indigenous Peoples Congress with participation of the UN, UNESCO, World Bank etc., preparing the analysis of and amendments to Russian law relating to indigenous peoples, publishing a magazine on indigenous peoples in Arctic, preparing seminars on natural resources management, interaction with industrial companies; business trips to the regions where indigenous peoples live; discussing the issue of indigenous peoples’ rights and their sustainable development and preparing recommendations for Russian authorities and international community.

Foreign funder(s): UNDEF, World Bank, IWGIA

Judicial decisions: 21 January 2016, Nikulinskiy District Court of Moscow, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Green World Local v. Russia

(application no. 33734/16, lodged on 02.06.2016)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Местная общественная благотворительная экологическая организация Зеленый Мир

Representative before the Court: I. Khrunova

Place of registration: Sosnovy Bor

Mission of the applicant organisation: Informing the public about the state of the environment; promoting public control over the environment and public health; providing assistance to the victims of environmental disasters.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 02.12.2015

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Leningrad Region Justice Department, October 2015.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Developing nuclear safety programmes; protesting against the construction of a nuclear power plant; drafting laws on nuclear waste; sending petitions on the use of nuclear power and public environmental monitoring to state authorities, including the President of Russia; criticising State nuclear policy; participating in events relating to the use of nuclear power and nuclear waste disposal, posting information on a website and distributing publications; posting drawings on the subject of dumping nuclear waste on a website; organising cycling events to promote environmental values; organising a protest for the promotion of human rights and environmental safety; collecting signatures protesting against the construction of an aluminium plant; travelling abroad to exchange experiences concerning nuclear waste disposal; organising a round-table discussion on the regional approach to the installation of hazardous facilities; cooperation with an environmental organisation on the list of foreign agents, political parties and state authorities.

Foreign funder(s): Norges Naturvernforbund, Global Greengrants Fund, ССВ

Judicial decisions: 4 February 2016, Sosnovyy Bor Town Court of the Leningrad Region, fine for a failure to register as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

MASHR v. Russia

(application no. 9988/13, lodged on 06.02.2013)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Автономная некоммерческая организация "Правозащитная организация "МАШР"

Representative before the Court: P. Leach

Place of registration: Karabulak

Mission of the applicant organisation: Monitoring cases of forced disappearances in Ingushetia and adjacent regions.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 08.12.2015

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Ingushetia Justice Department, August-September 2015.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Posting publications on foreign agent status and public control on a website; posting criticism of the actions of the federal and Ingush authorities on a website, and disclosing their inaction; engaging in State and local authority decision-making; launching initiatives in various areas of social life; submitting proposals to State authorities.

Foreign funder(s): NED and Norwegian Helsinki Committee

Judicial decisions: (1) 13 November 2015, Magas Town Court of the Republic of Ingushetia; (2) 21 June 2016, Zamoskvoretskiy District Court of Moscow found that the Ministry of Justice’s decision to put the applicant on the list of foreign agents was lawful (3) 30 August 2016, Karabulak District Court, two fines for failure to label publications.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: (1) The court annulled the Justice Department’s decision and established that the applicant had not been notified of the inspection in advance. However, the court considered that MASHR had engaged in political activity without registering with the Ministry of Justice, and held that the Justice Department should prevent it from violating the Foreign Agents Act (2) The court endorsed the submissions of the Ministry of Justice.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14); limitation on use of restrictions on rights (Article 18)

Yekaterinburg Memorial v. Russia

(application no. 61989/16, lodged on 19.10.2016)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Городская общественная организация "Екатеринбургское общество "МЕМОРИАЛ"

Representative before the Court: K. Koroteyev

Place of registration: Yekaterinburg

Mission of the applicant organisation: Education in the field of history and the fight against political repression; protection of human rights; rehabilitation of the victims of political repression; legal education.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 30.12.2015

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Sverdlovsk Region Justice Department, September-October 2014.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Participating in a protest in support of prisoners of conscience and Russian democrats; participating in a peace march against the wars in Ukraine and Syria; organising discussion on the use of internet memes to influence public opinion; organising an event to commemorate Mr Nemtsov, the assassinated opposition leader; protecting the right to civilian service as an alternative to military service; preparing a petition to the French Consul.

Foreign funder(s): NED

Judicial decisions: 24 February 2016, Kirovskiy District Court of Yekaterinburg, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the Ministry of Justice.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Committee against Torture v. Russia

(application no. 9988/13, lodged on 06.02.2013)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Межрегиональная общественная организация "Комитет против пыток"

Representative before the Court: P. Leach

Place of registration: Nizhny Novgorod

Mission of the applicant organisation: Fighting against torture and ill-treatment by law-enforcement officers in Russia; providing legal, medical and social assistance to the victims of torture; monitoring torture; raising awareness.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 16.01.2015

Date deleted from the register: 13.09.2016

Reason for deletion: Liquidated

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Prosecutor’s office of the Nizhegorodskiy District of Nizhniy Novgorod, April 2013.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Preparing leaflets on torture and legal issues relating to torture in Russia; cooperating with regional and federal State bodies on human rights issues; participating in the forum “EU-Russia”; publishing information about torture by the police and ineffective investigations into torture; the applicant’s director being appointed a member of the Russian President’s Human Rights Council, and criticising the work of law-enforcement bodies; organising protests against the inaction of the Investigative Committee; making legislative proposals; making statements about the punishment of police officers for abuses and the effectiveness of investigations; the applicant’s director making comments about the presence of Russian troops in Ukraine and the annexation of the Crimea..

Foreign funder(s): United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture, Sigrid Rausing Trust, DEMAS, MacArthur Foundation and Civil Rights Defenders

Judicial decisions: 3 April 2015, Sovetskiy District Court of Nizhniy Novgorod rejected the applicant’s challenge to the prosecutor’s findings.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: The District Court held that the applicant had been specifically chosen by foreign providers of funds to promote their interests. The court held that the applicant’s statute stated its intention to engage in political activity, that the applicant had used the Internet, as well as the Russian and foreign mass media, to shape public opinion in a certain way in order to influence the Russian President, law-enforcement officers, and the political, social and religious establishment, and that it had selected grants for political reasons, supported liberal ideas and promoted European values and political culture..

Other complaints: Failure to comply with labelling requirements (Article 10); discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14); limitation on use of restrictions on rights (Article 18)

Civil Education Centre v. Russia

(application no. 76854/16, lodged on 01.12.2016)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Межрегиональная общественная организация "Центр гражданского образования и прав человека"

Representative before the Court: K. Koroteyev

Place of registration: Perm

Mission of the applicant organisation: Education in the field of human rights and political repression; developing the non-governmental system of civic education; engaging the young people in charitable activities; contributing to the research activities of young scientists; cooperating with authorities and NGOs on the education issues.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 03.03.2016

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Perm Region Justice Department, January-February 2016.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Organising seminars on education in the field of human rights, on protection of human rights and on political repression; organising visits to Geneva and Strasbourg to study the work of international mechanisms for human rights protection; promotion of democratic values in a changing educational environment; teaching human rights in schools and universities; posting on a web-site instructions on participation in protest actions; participation of the Civic Education Centre’s director in the round-table discussions on protection of personal and political rights and on freedom of assembly; organising presentation on human rights education in Russia at the OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting; organising a seminar on prisoners of conscience and human rights; participation in the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum, a network of thematically diverse NGOs from Russia and the European Union; human rights monitoring in educational institutions of the Perm Region and drafting recommendations for state authorities; participation of the Civic Education Centre in a discussion at the Committee on Education of the State Duma, the lower chamber of the Russian Parliament; organising presentations and distributing materials on freedom of peaceful assembly.

Foreign funder(s): OSIAF, NED, European Union, Transatlantic Foundation, Anker Hotel Storgata Oslo Norway, BST

Judicial decisions: (1) 29 April 2016, Motovilikhinskiy District Court of Perm, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent (2) 10 August 2016, Leninskiy District Court of Perm held that the inspection was lawful.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Gagarin Park v. Russia

(application no. 9076/17, lodged on 17.01.2017)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Автономная некоммерческая организация "Издательство "Парк Гагарина"

Representative before the Court: I. Khrunova

Place of registration: Samara

Mission of the applicant organisation: Publishing activities; protecting the right to information, freedom of conscience and expression; contributing to cooperation between various social groups; promoting common human values and education to fight against nationalism and racism; providing targeted assistance through mass media.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 31.08.2016

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Samara Region Justice Department, August 2016.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Posting on the applicant’s website publications on police officers’ actions during a rape investigation, prohibition of adoption of Russian children by Americans, local administration officer who rejected a request for a picket, a judge who fell asleep during a hearing, a sentence issued by one of local courts, international sanctions against Russia, possibility to abolish the law on multiple-child allowance, prohibition to use drinking water for watering gardens, elections in Russia and small business.

Foreign funder(s): Reginal Charity Foundation “Smarskaya Guberniya”, a Russian organisation financed by Charities Aid Foundation, Alcoa Foundation, Institute of International Education Inc.

Judicial decisions: 23 September 2016, Oktyabrskiy District Court of Samara, fine for failure to register as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None. The courts fully endorsed the findings of the inspection.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

International Memorial v. Russia

(application no. 9988/13, lodged on 06.02.2013)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Международная общественная организация "Международное историко-просветительское, благотворительное и правозащитное общество "Мемориал"

Representative before the Court: P. Leach

Place of registration: Moscow

Mission of the applicant organisation: Contributing to the development of the rule of law, democracy and human rights; carrying out activities in the field of history and education, including providing assistance to the victims of political repression; researching and analysing totalitarian regimes and human rights activity.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): 04.10.2016

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: (1) Moscow Prosecutor’s Office, March 2013 (2) Moscow Justice Department, September 2016.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Contributing to the development of civil society and a democratic State; shaping public opinion in the light of values, democracy and law; fighting against totalitarian stereotypes; restoring historical truth; and remembering the victims of political repression.

Foreign funder(s): USAID, OSIAF and “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future” Foundation

Judicial decisions: 24 May 2013, Zamoskvoretskiy District Court of Moscow held that the decision to carry out the inspection had been justified.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: None.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14); limitation on use of restrictions on rights (Article 18)

Moscow Helsinki Group v. Russia

(application no. 9988/13, lodged on 06.02.2013)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Региональная общественная организация «Московская группа содействия Хельсинским соглашениям»

Representative before the Court: P. Leach

Place of registration: Moscow

Mission of the applicant organisation: Protecting human rights in various areas; monitoring violations of human rights; providing human rights education; supporting human rights initiatives.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): No registration. Nature of interference: inspection

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Moscow Prosecutor’s Office, March 2013.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: None, the applicant deсlined foreign funding.

Foreign funder(s):

Judicial decisions: .

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: .

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14); limitation on use of restrictions on rights (Article 18)

Democratic Centre v. Russia

(application no. 45973/14, lodged on 03.06.2014)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Воронежская областная общественная организация "Демократический центр"

Director of the applicant organisation (the second applicant): Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Boldyrev

Representative before the Court: I. Sivoldayev

Place of registration: Voronezh

Mission of the applicant organisation: Promoting human rights and personal security; supporting democratic reforms and civil society.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): No registration. Nature of interference: inspection

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Prosecutor’s Office of the Voronezh Region, April 2013.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Promoting a person’s rights and security; supporting democratic reforms and civil society; supporting peace and social stability; providing political support for persons advocating market-oriented reforms; monitoring elections to the State Duma in December 2011.

Foreign funder(s): Management Systems International, Inc.

Judicial decisions: 19 July 2013, Leninskiy District Court of Voronezh held that the prosecutor’s actions had been lawful.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: The court held that the applicant’s statutes prescribed its participation in the political life of the country and interference with State affairs, and that by providing political support under its statutes the Democratic Centre could shape public opinion

ADC Memorial v. Russia

(application no. 48431/14, lodged on 30.06.2014)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Благотворительное частное учреждение защиты прав лиц, подвергающихся дискриминации, "Антидискриминационный центр "Мемориал"

Representative before the Court: O. Tseytlina

Place of registration: St Petersburg

Mission of the applicant organisation: Protecting victims of discrimination and vulnerable groups.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): No registration. Nature of interference: inspection

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Prosecutor’s Office of the Admiralteyskiy District of St Petersburg, March 2013.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Publishing a human rights report entitled “Roma, Migrants, Activists: Victims of Police Abuse” (St. Petersburg 2012) and submitting it to the UN Committee Against Torture.

Foreign funder(s): OSIAF, Oak Foundation Ltd, CCFD, Rädda Barnens Riksförbund, Roma Education Fund, SIDA

Judicial decisions: 12 December 2013, Leninskiy District Court of St Petersburg, forced registration as a foreign agent.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: The courts held that the applicant had engaged in political activity by organising campaigns for the protection of migrants, preparing the human rights report, and lobbying for amendments to legislation.

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

Coming Out v. Russia

(application no. 4798/15, lodged on 20.01.2015)

Full Russian name of the applicant organisation: Автономная некоммерческая организация социально-правовых услуг "ЛГБТ организация Выход"

Representative before the Court: D. Bartenev

Place of registration: St Petersburg

Mission of the applicant organisation: Fighting for universal recognition of human dignity and equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Date included in the register (or other type of interference): No registration. Nature of interference: inspection

Date and authority that carried out the inspection: Prosecutor’s Office of the Tsentralnyy District of St Petersburg, October 2013.

Actions taken to constitute political activities: Protesting against the existence of an administrative offence of promoting homosexuality to minors; publishing guidelines on LGBT discrimination inciting people to protest against the administrative offence; holding a protest against politicians who did not support the values of love, family and human dignity.

Foreign funder(s): Embassies of the Netherlands and Norway

Judicial decisions: 21 July 2014, Vasileostrovskoy District Court of St Petersburg, allowing the prosecutor’s claim for forced registration.

Any additional findings in the court proceedings: The court held that the restrictions prescribed by the Foreign Agents Act did not breach the Convention, and that the guidelines on LGBT discrimination did not contain any direct appeal to influence State authorities’ decisions and change the political line. However, they aimed to shape public opinion. The court further held that there was no need to prove that an organisation had actually influenced State authorities’ decisions, the mere assumption of potential influence being sufficient..

Other complaints: Discrimination (Articles 10, 11 and 14)

 

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