Russia’s “foreign agents” law violates freedom of association and freedom of expression, the European Court of Human Rights said. The Strasbourg court ruled on this on Tuesday. Russia must pay the 73 plaintiffs non-governmental organizations about 1.02 million euros in damages and reimburse the costs of almost 119,000 euros.
Those affected have no prospect of paying the money because Russia no longer complies with the sentences. In 2012, a law came into force in Russia that forced NGOs to register as ‘foreign agents’, for example, because of their alleged political work and foreign funding.
Many organizations were forced to dissolve
The criteria for the audit have been tightened up for those involved and violations of the requirements have been sanctioned. Many organizations had to close or were liquidated because of the high fines.
The European Court of Human Rights, located in Strasbourg, France, is part of the Council of Europe. The bodies independent of the European Union work together to protect human rights in the 46 Member States. Although Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe because of the war of aggression against Ukraine, it remains a party to the European Convention on Human Rights until September 16.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
