Russian Law May Impede Charities’ Work

The Russian government has ordered a number of foreign nonprofit organizations to suspend operations, enforcing a strict new law requiring these groups to register with its Justice Ministry, reports The New York Times.

The exact number of the suspensions is unclear: some reports put it at 73, others closer to 100. Many groups fear that the new law is a means for the Russian government to hinder or even shut down human-rights or democracy programs, to which the Kremlin has been increasingly hostile.

“My fear is that their intention is to shut us down,” said Josh Rubenstein, a director at Amnesty International, which has an office in Russia. Russian officials deny that the suspensions are politically motivated.

The Russian government, headed by President Vladimir V. Putin, has accused outsider organizations of spying and interfering in Russian politics. The new law allows for much greater scrutiny of the groups.

Nonprofit leaders tried, unsuccessfully, to persuade national leaders at the Group of 8 summit in July to protest Russia’s law, The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported.

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