Russian Prosecutors identify 22 NGOs as 'foreign agents'

Russian Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika said checks have identified 22 non-governmental organizations that fall under operation of the law on "foreign agents." "According to the Rosfinmonitoring, 22 Russian NGOs received 30.8 billion roubles in funding from foreign countries in the period from November 2012 through April 2013. Even without the NGOs set up by government bodies, this funding reaches 24.2 billion roubles," Chaika said on Wednesday. Since none of the NGOS had been put on the list of NGOs - "foreign agents" before the check, prosecutors examined the documents of 1,000 NGOs which made up at least half of the organizations funded from abroad. "Signs of political activity and documented evidence of foreign funding in 2010-2013 exceeding six billion roubles were found at 215 NGOs. Prosecutors ascertained 22 NGOs which fall under direct operation of the law on NGOs - "foreign agents," the prosecutor general underlined. In the past three years, these organizations - according to their own data - received more than 800 million roubles from foreign sources. "While engaging in political activities, participating in electoral processes, public events, drawing of legislation, receiving foreign funds and giving accounts to the sponsors on how the money was spent, none of the 22 organizations considers itself a foreign agent and does not plan to register in this capacity of its own accord." Chaika added that the checks carried out by prosecutors had not been "sweeping."