Putin Calls for Measured Enforcement of Russia's 'Foreign Agents' Law
He framed the requirement as a transparency check on funding sources, not a punitive tool.
Overview
- Speaking at the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, Vladimir Putin urged caution in applying the foreign agents legislation.
- He said authorities should avoid sweeping actions and insisted enforcement be careful, accurate, and lawful.
- Putin characterized the key obligation as disclosure of financing, asking why such transparency should be seen as alarming.
- He cited the existence of a U.S. foreign agents law dating to the 1940s as a point of comparison.
- He contrasted penalties by asserting that violations in the United States can lead to imprisonment, whereas Russia has no such punishment in its regime.