Russian undesirable organizations law


The Russian undesirable organizations law is a law that was signed by President Vladimir Putin on 23 May 2015 as a follow-up to the 2012 Russian foreign agent law and Dima Yakovlev Law. Under the law, Russian prosecutors are able to target foreign groups which they deem to present "a threat to the foundation of the constitutional order of the Russian Federation, the defense capability of the country or the security of the state."
The law gives prosecutors the power to declare foreign and international organizations "undesirable" in Russia and shut them down. Organizations are subject to heavy fines, while individuals affiliated with them can receive lengthy prison sentences if they fail to dissolve when given notice to do so. These punishments also apply to Russians who maintain ties to them. Supporters of the law claim that this law is vital for the preservation of national security, but critics say that the law is unclear in many areas and can be used to silence dissent. Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian government has escalated the use of both the foreign agent and undesirable organizations laws to block the activities of the media, human rights and civil society organisations, most of whom are based in the western world.

History

The proponents revealed that an initial idea of the law was to expand the action of the "foreign agent law" onto foreign noncommercial organizations as well, but after the introduction of economic sanctions against Russia they decided to incorporate economic aspects in the new law as well.
On 23 July 2024 the State Duma adopted a law according to which any organizations can be recognized as undesirable in Russia if their founders or participants are foreign government agencies, in addition to foreign NGOs.

Implications for NGOs

These organisations are forbidden from holding public events and from possessing or distributing promotional materials, including via mass media. All Russian banks and financial institutions are forbidden from cooperating with them and are required to inform Russia's financial watchdog agency about all those that attempt to use them.
When given notice from the prosecutors, these NGOs have to disband. Violators face fines or prison terms of up to six years. People cooperating with such entities are subject to fines and can be banned from entering Russia. Russians who maintain ties with "undesirables" face penalties ranging from fines to a maximum of six years in prison.

Enforcement

On 25 May 2015, the first proposed list of undesirable NGOs was sent to the Prosecutor-General's office was made by an MP from LDPR. The list included the think tank Carnegie Moscow Center, the international history and human rights society Memorial, as well as the Moscow offices of Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.
On 7 July 2015, RIA Novosti published an alleged shortlist by the Federal Council of Russia of organizations to be branded undesirable. Those include the US-based Open Society Institute, the National Endowment for Democracy, the MacArthur Foundation and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. The list also includes the Polish-based Education for Democracy foundation and the East European Democratic Centre as well as three Ukrainian organizations: The Ukrainian World Congress, the Ukrainian World Coordinating Council and the Crimean Field Mission on Human Rights.
After the Federal Council's vote to include the MacArthur Foundation on the recommended list of "undesirable organizations", it announced the closing of its Russian division, operating since 1992.
In July 2015, the National Endowment for Democracy became the first organization to be officially blacklisted by the Russian authorities under the law. The decision by the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation was announced on its website where it was claimed that NED's activities "pose a threat to constitutional order of the Russian Federation, defense potential and security of the state". Among NED's alleged violations were its donations to commercial and non-profit organizations that independently monitor elections, as well as for undefined "political activities" and "discrediting service in the armed forces".
In November 2015, two branches of George Soros' charity network, the Open Society Foundations and the Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation, were banned under this law in Russia. The infractions were not listed, but the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation released a statement stating that "the activity of the Open Society Foundations and the Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation represents a threat to the foundations of the constitutional system of the Russian Federation and the security of the state".
Ahead of the March 2018 presidential election, two European organizations involved in election monitoring were added.

Affected organizations

, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation declared 318 overseas and international organizations "undesirable" in Russia : most of the affected organizations are based in Germany, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Organization affectedCountryMinistry
of Justice’s
order date
Prosecutor-
General’s
decision date
Reference
1National Endowment for Democracy29.07.201528.07.2015
2Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation01.12.201526.11.2015
3Open Society Foundations01.12.201526.11.2015
4U.S. Russia Foundation07.12.201503.12.2015
5National Democratic Institute17.03.201610.03.2016
6Media Development Investment Fund22.08.201618.08.2016
7International Republican Institute22.08.201618.08.2016
8Open Russia Civic Movement27.04.201726.04.2017
9Open Russia27.04.201726.04.2017
1027.04.201726.04.2017
11Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation03.07.201730.06.2017
12European Platform for Democratic Elections13.03.201812.03.2018
13International Elections Study Center13.03.201812.03.2018
14German Marshall Fund21.03.201820.03.2018
15Pacific Environment28.08.201824.08.2018
16Free Russia Foundation28.06.201927.06.2019
17Ukrainian World Congress17.07.201911.07.2019
18Atlantic Council29.07.201925.07.2019
19People in Need12.11.201907.11.2019
20European Endowment for Democracy12.03.202006.03.2020
21Jamestown Foundation09.04.202008.04.2020
22PH International23.04.202022.04.2020
23Dragon Springs21.07.202017.07.2020
24Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting21.07.202017.07.2020
25European Falun Dafa Association21.07.202017.07.2020
26Friends of Falun Gong21.07.202017.07.2020
27Global Mission to Rescue Persecuted Falun Gong Practitioners21.07.202017.07.2020
28Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong21.07.202017.07.2020
29World Organisation to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong21.07.202017.07.2020
30Prague Civil Society Centre25.12.202017.12.2020
31Association of Schools of Political Studies of the Council of Europe25.12.202022.12.2020
3202.06.202126.05.2021
33Forum of Russian-speaking Europeans02.06.202126.05.2021
3402.06.202126.05.2021
35Bard College30.06.202121.06.2021
36European Choice09.07.202130.06.2021
37Khodorkovsky Foundation09.07.202130.06.2021
38Oxford Russia Fund09.07.202130.06.2021
39Future of Russia Foundation09.07.202130.06.2021
40Society for Freedom of Information 09.07.202129.06.2021
41Proekt23.07.202115.07.2021
42International Partnership for Human Rights17.08.202112.08.2021
4330.08.202123.08.2021
4430.08.202123.08.2021
4530.08.202123.08.2021
4630.08.202123.08.2021
47World Institute of Scientology Enterprises01.10.202124.09.2021
48Church of Spiritual Technology01.10.202124.09.2021
49European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations01.10.202127.09.2021
50WOT Foundation04.02.202225.01.2022
51Free Idel-Ural28.02.202216.02.2022
52Journalism Development Network 05.03.202222.02.2022
53Important Stories05.03.202222.02.2022
54Chatham House13.04.202207.04.2022
55Crimean Human Rights Group13.05.202204.05.2022
56Heinrich Böll Foundation31.05.202220.05.2022
57Stichting Bellingcat26.07.202213.07.2022
58Bellingcat26.07.202213.07.2022
59The Insider26.07.202213.07.2022
60CEELI Institute26.07.202213.07.2022
61Open Estonia Foundation29.07.202219.07.2022
62Calvert 22 Foundation12.08.202229.07.2022
63Ukrainian Canadian Congress19.08.202204.08.2022
64Macdonald–Laurier Institute19.08.202204.08.2022
65Ukrainian National Federation of Canada19.08.202204.08.2022
66Dekabristen25.10.202212.10.2022
67Wilson Center25.11.202210.11.2022
68Open Press25.11.202211.11.2022
6925.11.202216.11.2022
7025.11.202216.11.2022
71Riddle13.12.202225.11.2022
72Anti-War Committee in Sweden «Russians Against War»10.01.202320.12.2022
73Meduza07.02.202325.01.2023
74Andrei Sakharov Foundation07.02.202323.01.2023
75Free Russia Forum13.02.202330.01.2023
76Free Nations League10.03.202317.02.2023
77Transparency International21.03.202303.03.2023
78Free Nations of Post-Russia Forum31.03.202315.03.2023
79Solidarus05.04.202315.03.2023
8005.04.202321.03.2023
81 18.04.202330.03.2023
82Institute for Statecraft25.04.202320.03.2023
8325.04.202310.04.2023
84Bellona Foundation02.05.202317.04.2023
8511.05.202320.04.2023
86Congress of People's Deputies18.05.202327.04.2023
87Greenpeace29.05.202318.05.2023
88Anti-Corruption Foundation01.06.202322.05.2023
89Transformation Center 27.06.202307.06.2023
90Agora28.06.202314.06.2023
91World Wide Fund for Nature05.07.202320.06.2023
92Novaya Gazeta Europe14.07.202326.06.2023
93Altai Project17.07.202303.07.2023
94Educational Human Rights House Chernihiv24.07.202305.07.2023
95Human Rights House Foundation24.07.202305.07.2023
96Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House24.07.202305.07.2023
97Human Rights House Tbilisi24.07.202305.07.2023
98Human Rights House Yerevan24.07.202305.07.2023
99Human Rights House Crimea24.07.202305.07.2023
100Wild Salmon Center02.08.202317.07.2023
101TVR Studios 04.08.202321.07.2023
102TV Rain04.08.202321.07.2023
103Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies15.08.202328.07.2023
104Conflict Intelligence Team18.08.202304.08.2023
105AllatRa18.08.202302.08.2023
106For a Free Russia23.08.202311.08.2023
107Free Buryatia Foundation12.09.202330.08.2023
108URALIC Centre for Indigenous Peoples14.09.202330.08.2023
109unKremlin18.09.202301.09.2023
110International Transport Workers' Federation18.09.202301.09.2023
111EastCham Finland26.09.202312.09.2023
112Hudson Institute26.09.202313.09.2023
113Foundation for Democratic Development11.10.202318.09.2023
114Committee-202417.10.202326.09.2023
115Central European University01.11.202318.09.2023
11601.11.202312.09.2023
11708.11.202312.10.2023
11808.11.202312.10.2023
119Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania08.11.202312.10.2023
120Civic Council21.11.202303.11.2023
121Center for European Policy Analysis27.11.202323.10.2023
12204.12.202314.11.2023
123Russian Action Committee04.12.202314.11.2023
124RAND Corporation06.12.202321.11.2023
125Russian America for Democracy in Russia25.12.202324.11.2023
126True Russia25.12.202307.12.2023
127Global Investigative Journalism Network25.12.202305.12.2023
128Helpdesk Media Foundation26.12.202311.12.2023
129Freies Russland Berlin26.01.202426.12.2023
130Freies Russland NRW26.01.202426.12.2023
131GlobalGiving26.01.202411.01.2024
132Anti-War Committee of Russia31.01.202411.01.2024
13331.01.202411.01.2024
134Association of Free Russians31.01.202411.01.2024
135Alliance for the Return of the Northern Territories05.02.202423.01.2024
13605.02.202416.01.2024
137IndustriALL Global Union05.02.202417.01.2024
138Russian Election Monitor07.02.202419.01.2024
139Article 1908.02.202423.01.2024
140Mnenie Media 08.02.202415.01.2024
141Anarchist Black Cross Federation16.02.202425.01.2024
142Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty20.02.202402.02.2024
14301.03.202414.02.2024
144Friedrich Ebert Foundation01.03.202414.02.2024
145XZ Foundation01.03.202414.02.2024
146OWEN — Mobile Academy for Gender Democracy and Peacebuilding01.03.202414.02.2024
14713.03.202419.02.2024
148American Councils for International Education18.03.202426.02.2024
149Cultural Vistas18.03.202426.02.2024
150Institute of International Education18.03.202426.02.2024
151Russians Against War Antalya18.03.202427.02.2024
152Open Dialogue Foundation25.03.202414.02.2024
153Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy02.04.202413.03.2024
154Russian Canadian Democratic Alliance02.04.202413.03.2024
155Norman Paterson School of International Affairs02.04.202413.03.2024
156Center for Civil Liberties16.04.202429.03.2024
15716.04.202413.03.2024
158Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom16.04.202413.03.2024
159Feminist Anti-War Resistance25.04.202409.04.2024
160Ingush Independence Committee02.05.202411.04.2024
161Prometheus Security Environment Research Center15.05.202424.04.2024
162KKL-Stop the Occupation of Karelia17.05.202425.04.2024
163Come Back Alive17.05.202424.04.2024
164Freedom House21.05.202406.05.2024
16524.05.202407.05.2024
166Liberal Democratic League of Ukraine03.06.202413.05.2024
167German Historical Institute Moscow14.06.202430.05.2024
168Great Commission Media Ministries21.06.202403.06.2024
169International Russian Radio & Television21.06.202403.06.2024
170Great Commission Media Ministries21.06.202403.06.2024
17101.07.202430.05.2024
172Center for Strategic and International Studies01.07.202411.06.2024
173Democratic Community of Russian-speakers in Finland08.07.202420.06.2024
174Vuoksi Ry08.07.202420.06.2024
175MitOst10.07.202420.06.2024
176The John Smith Trust10.07.202426.06.2024
177The Moscow Times17.07.202403.07.2024
178Carnegie Endowment for International Peace18.07.202401.07.2024
179Assembly of the Peoples of the Caucasus02.08.202416.07.2024
180EF Education First05.08.202416.07.2024
181OSTMOST Foundation05.08.202416.07.2024
182Konrad Adenauer Foundation14.08.202431.07.2024
183Kulturus14.08.202430.07.2024
184MRR-Fund 14.08.202430.07.2024
185Russia Behind Bars14.08.202430.07.2024
186For Your and Our Freedom14.08.202430.07.2024
187Deputies of Peaceful Russia27.08.202413.08.2024
188Clooney Foundation for Justice27.08.202414.08.2024
189Belsat01.10.202411.09.2024
190Humanitarian Fund 24/0204.10.202418.09.2024
191Media in Cooperation and Transition30.10.202407.10.2024
192International Association of Intellectual Games14.11.202430.10.2024
193YPO14.11.202430.10.2024
19420.11.202406.11.2024
195The Satanic Temple19.12.202429.11.2024
196Recorded Future09.01.202516.12.2024
197Canadian Center for Development of Democracy in Russia10.01.202517.12.2024
198Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe17.01.202516.12.2024
199Help Heroes of Ukraine17.01.202520.12.2024
200International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance17.01.202525.12.2024
201OpenText30.01.202509.01.2025
202Independent Institute of Philosophy30.01.202520.01.2025
203Journalists in Need Network30.01.202525.12.2024
204Compelson30.01.202509.01.2025
205Register of Damage for Ukraine07.02.202522.01.2025
206The Barents Observer18.02.202504.02.2025
207Association of Free Russians03.03.202507.02.2025
208Russian Democratic Society05.03.202519.02.2025
209Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party17.03.202524.02.2025
210European Liberal Youth17.03.202524.02.2025
211Rasmussen Global24.03.202505.03.2025
212Association for the Development of Russian Civil Society and Support of Russian Emigrants24.03.202526.02.2025
213For Ukraine, Their Freedom and Ours!26.03.202505.03.2025
214European Leadership Network01.04.202510.03.2025
215German Council on Foreign Relations01.04.202505.03.2025
216Elton John AIDS Foundation14.04.202521.03.2025
217Justice for Journalists14.04.202521.03.2025
218Elton John AIDS Foundation14.04.202521.03.2025
219Hanns Seidel Foundation18.04.202521.03.2025
220Northern Territories Issue Association18.04.202503.04.2025
221Hope Harbor Society22.04.202531.03.2025
222Community of Free Russians07.05.202510.04.2025
223International Indigenous Fund for Development and Solidarity Batani14.05.202511.04.2025
224Association of Investigative Journalists — Fund 19/2922.05.202511.04.2025
225Association «Polish Community»22.05.202521.04.2025
226Amnesty International28.05.202512.05.2025
227Eurasian Coalition on Health, Rights, Gender and Sexual Diversity28.05.202512.05.2025
228Brigham Young University02.06.202529.04.2025
229Körber Foundation02.06.202529.04.2025
230Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies03.06.202512.05.2025
23103.06.202512.05.2025
232Institute for Human Sciences03.06.202512.05.2025
233NoWar Human Rights Movement11.06.202512.05.2025
234British Council11.06.202526.05.2025
235Global Network of Sex Work Projects19.06.202530.05.2025
236Democratic Community of Russians in Cyprus19.06.202530.05.2025
237Razom24.06.202509.06.2025
238Sex Workers' Rights Advocacy Network24.06.202503.06.2025
239Eurasian Harm Reduction Association02.07.202516.06.2025
240European Resilience Initiative Centre02.07.202511.06.2025
241Norwegian Helsinki Committee11.07.202524.06.2025
242Yale University11.07.202523.06.2025
24311.07.202523.06.2025
24422.07.202501.07.2025
245Andrei Sakharov Institute22.07.202501.07.2025
246Robert Carr Fund01.08.202504.07.2025
247East View Information Services04.08.202504.07.2025
248n-ost04.08.202504.07.2025
249Rosa Luxemburg Foundation04.08.202515.07.2025
250International House World Organisation07.08.202516.07.2025
251UnMode — Community Movement for Access to Justice07.08.202521.07.2025
252Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights11.08.202525.07.2025
253Group 3614.08.202525.07.2025
254Reporters Without Borders14.08.202523.07.2025
255Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future18.08.202501.08.2025
256Zimin Foundation18.08.202530.07.2025
257Netherlands Helsinki Committee18.08.202501.08.2025
258Demokrati-JA21.08.202506.08.2025
259ProtectDefenders.eu26.08.202506.08.2025
260Civic Solidarity Platform26.08.202506.08.2025
261Human Rights Funders Network04.09.202513.08.2025
262Royal United Services Institute04.09.202508.08.2025
263International Baccalaureate04.09.202515.08.2025
264Friede Allen16.09.202515.08.2025
265AFS Intercultural Programs25.09.202509.09.2025
266Initiative for Resistance and Dialogues01.10.202509.09.2025
267Eurasian Network of People Who Use Drugs01.10.202508.09.2025
268Bart-Marsho02.10.202517.09.2025
269Assembly of Chechens of Europe02.10.202517.09.2025
270Correctiv08.10.202516.09.2025
271International Center for Journalists30.10.202517.09.2025
272Truth Hounds30.10.202516.09.2025
273Ideas for Change30.10.202517.09.2025
274JX Fund30.10.202517.09.2025
275Nordic Council of Ministers07.11.202524.10.2025
276Equal Rights Trust13.11.202501.11.2025
277Free Peoples of Russia House24.11.202510.11.2025
278Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project24.11.202507.11.2025
279Human Rights Watch28.11.202510.11.2025
280GSC Game World28.11.202513.11.2025
281International Federation for Human Rights01.12.202513.11.2025
282Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group02.12.202519.11.2025
283Turkic Revival Front04.12.202519.11.2025
28404.12.202524.11.2025
285Civic Council Support Foundation04.12.202521.11.2025
286Alliance for a Free and Democratic Russia15.12.202501.12.2025
287Nature and Youth15.12.202502.12.2025
288For Free Russia15.12.202501.12.2025
289House of Ingria15.12.202501.12.2025
290Deutsche Welle15.12.202501.12.2025
29118.12.202502.12.2025
292Rubikus29.12.202516.12.2025
293Russian-speaking Democrats29.12.202516.12.2025
294Action4life29.12.202516.12.2025
295Nordic Ukraine Forum29.12.202517.12.2025
296LexCollective29.12.202515.12.2025
29712.01.202618.12.2025
298SupportNet12.01.202617.12.2025
299Casimir Pulaski Foundation12.01.202617.12.2025
300Stefan Batory Foundation12.01.202617.12.2025
30112.01.202617.12.2025
302Institute for Global Reconstitution12.01.202617.12.2025
303Samogłoska Foundation12.01.202617.12.2025
304Freedom and Democracy Foundation12.01.202616.12.2025
305International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association19.01.202624.12.2025
306B4Ukraine19.01.202622.12.2025
307SAB UA19.01.202622.12.2025
308George Washington University19.01.202624.12.2025
309Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention19.01.202624.12.2025
310RUHelp19.01.202622.12.2025
311Artec 3D19.01.202622.12.2025
312Centre for Peacebuilding and Community Development19.01.202625.12.2025
313Human Rights First19.01.202622.12.2025
314International Alliance of Libertarian Parties26.01.202612.01.2026
315Kafkas Vakfı26.01.202612.01.2026
316Parliamentary Center26.01.202612.01.2026
317VIGO Law Firm26.01.202613.01.2026
318Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives26.01.202613.01.2026