Today, on the 18th of July, the Federal Council is going to discuss the new law about non-commercial organizations, which obliges beneficiaries of foreign subsidies to accept the state of being foreign agents. Among the public organizations in Krasnoyarsk Territory there are quite a lot of users of moneyed assistance from foreign donators, whereby some leaders of non-commercial organizations pointed out that it is considerably easier to receive financial aid from abroad than coming by some money from Russian administrative structures via participation in grant competitions.
It turns out that the chairmen of the regional, non-commercial organizations are not just indignant about this law project, but consider it as anti-constitutional change, and they are of the opinion that they will be compelled to exclusively accept taking money from criminal structures, from bandits, for the receipt of subsidiaries by legal means is no longer possible now; at least non-commercial organizations are talking about their preparedness to organize campaigns of protest against this law. According to the words of Olga Suvorova, head of two non-commercial organizations in Krasnoyarsk Territory, non-commercial organizations find themselves being “seriously pinched in a vise” already by now – without the final passing of this law. All means which public organizations receive are being taxed on state level by 34% plus income tax (amounting to 13%).
Olga Suvorova states: „They will carry public organizations so far that we will accept “black” money from those who are willing to support us. Thus, it happens that our state is getting interested in us. As head of a human rights‘ organization and chairwoman of the „Golos“ Association I know a number of public organizations in Krasnoyarsk, which receive money from gangster structures, thus evading legislation“.
Suvorova informed that, under her direction, the non-commercial organization „Obshagi!“ (Bulgar. term for hostel“; the organization unites people, who, for different reasons (e.g. privatization) have been evicted from the hostel they used to live in; translator’s note) received a grant from the USAIED (U.S. Agency for International Development). „It is even easier to receive financial support from foreign organizations, as we have active lobbyist tendencies on local level. While Russian sponsors are dealing with their „local patriotism“, international sponsors have a look at aims and tasks of a non-commercial organization and are prepared to put money at our disposal without further asking”. – “The myth about any kind of cooperation beyond this financial promotion is existing since long. During my ten years‘ activity on the „third sector“, no offers to spy or render any other kind of service to foreign donators have been addressed to me. Nonetheless I a m convinced that my public organizations will be labeled as foreign agents anyway“.
According to Suvorova‘s words an active wave of protest will now start to roll among the non-commercial organizations in Russia. „The State Duma will be forced to revise this law project and bring in corrections and amendments, a law projects, which is just a result of fear of the Moscovitans after the demonstrations on Bolotnaya Place and on Sakharov Street”, as the Krasnoyarsk activist remarked.
Aleksej Babij, head of the Krasnoyarsk „Memorial“ organization and beneficiary of grants from the Ford Foundation has the opinion that the initiative of the State Duma for the tightening of the already existing Law about non-commercial organizations is an „entirely exorbitant, hysteric action“. All these series of laws – about non-commercial, organizations, the internet, demonstrations – are a very stupid and not comprehensible. Things have come to the point that people are waiting for an anti-constitutional change. I think they can oblige us to take the state of a foreign agent, however „Memorial“ do not intend to accept themselves as such – in no way. We are doing our job – and that’s it“.
As Babij reported, one of the most essential tasks of his organization is – the compiling of a complete list of victims of repressions. „Memorial“ are permanently working on this, even if they do not receive any money for it. „If State structures and foreign foundations like to help us, we just say „thank you“, - Babij said. – But we decided ourselves, what we have to do and what we haven’t. It is unrealistic to believe that we make further special agreements with foreign donators. There is a popular fallacy that on one side there is a contracting body, on the other side – the executing party. This is not correct“.
Vladimir Mikheev, director of the Citizens‘ Center for nuclear non-proliferation, beneficiary of smaller grants from the US Embassy in the Russian Federation expressed his utterly negative attitude about this law. In his opinion “the power is once again trying“ to „choke off“ the non-commercial organizations. „Our foreign donators do not have the slightest influence on what is published on our website nuclearno.ru. We are engaged in reporting about objective information which we often get from foreign sources on our own initiative, - Mikheev emphasizes. – We are now exisiting for more than twenty years, and since then neither our government nor other Russian sources have given us a single kopek. Moreover, we several times applied for grants with the Russian Authority of Atomic Energy – an entirely useless undertaking“.
According to his words, when donating money, the US Embassy itself demanded that the Citizens‘ Center for nuclear non-proliferation takes the complete responsibility for what is being published on their website, which in no way reflects any assessment or opinion by the US Embassy or the American government.
As Mikheev reported, the Krasnoyarsk Citizen Center for nuclear non-proliferation was already confronted with a reproach from the regional government of espionage in favor of the United Sates and the Ukraine. At that time the ecology activists won five cases and also successfully withstood a tax audit. If they go as far as to declaring us foreign agents, we will simply liquidate our organization“, - he announced.
According to Konstantin Gureev‘s opinion, functioning as head of the Agency for the realization of programs of social development in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the new law means a serious blow on the activities of non-commercial organizations. In accordance with his words it is just the non-commercial organizations receiving subsidiaries and grants from abroad, which are really engaged in social activities. The boundary line between social and political activities, however, is small enough.
„When the head of a public organization suddenly supports one of the opposing parties during an election – do we call this already politics? And when he supports the ruling party – is this politics? This is not really clear and is not being considered by legislation at all. In my opinion this law is contradictory to the Federal Law „About non-commercial organizations“, - said Gureev.
Photo: kinopoisk.ru
Press-Line 18.07.2012, 14.59