RESTRICTIONS ON NONPROFIT GROUPS

U.S. groups that promote democracy abroad are meeting resistance from some regimes, reports The Washington Times. Groups like the Open Society Institute and Freedom House say their work is aimed at creating conditions conducive to democracy and civil society, and is not intended to overthrow governments. Those and similar organizations face restrictive new laws in countries such as Russia, and in Uzbekistan alone an estimated 200 nongovernmental organizations have been closed, the Times reports. Russian President Vladimir Putin said last month such groups “cannot be used as a foreign policy instrument by one state on the territory of another.” The article says that U.S. officials counter that the nonprofit groups do not have hidden agendas in their work abroad.