A new law signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin allows prosecutors to shut down foreign and international organizations operating in the country by declaring them "undesirable," eliciting condemnations from Western governments and human-rights groups.
Under the new measure, signed into law on Saturday, Russian prosecutors can declare an organization "undesirable" if they are determined to threaten constitutional order, defense, security, or public health.
Once given that designation, which requires approval by the Foreign Ministry, it would be illegal for undesirable groups to open offices in the country, authorities could freeze their financial transactions, and employees could be sentenced to up to six years in prison, according to CNN. Russian citizens thought to be involved with the undesirables could also be targeted.
One of the Russian lawmakers who co-authored the legislation, Alexander Taransky, said the law is designed to target commercial organizations in retaliation for sanctions imposed by the West on Russian businesses, reported The Telegraph.
A number of economic sanctions have been imposed by the U.S. and Europe over Russia's alleged involvement in the Ukrainian conflict, though U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said following a meeting with Putin earlier this month that Washington is ready to begin repealing sanctions as soon as a peace deal is fully implemented in Ukraine.
The U.S. State Department said it was "deeply troubled" by the new measure.
"We are concerned this new power will further restrict the work of civil society in Russia and is a further example of the Russian government's growing crackdown on independent voices and intentional steps to isolate the Russian people from the world," spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement, according to the BBC.
Other critics, like Amnesty International, said the law's vague wording makes no distinction between businesses and NGOs, leaving it open to abuse, while Human Rights Watch warned Russian locals would be the worst-hit.
"Given the Russian authorities' recent track record, there is every reason to expect that this law will be adopted and applied to clamp down on international civil society and undermine the independence and freedom of action of national human rights groups carrying out critical work in Russia," Amnesty International's Moscow Office Director Sergei Nikitin previously said in a statement.
David Lidington, Britain's Minister for Europe, called the law "yet another example of the Russian authorities' harassment of NGOs and those who work with them in Russia," according to the BBC. He said the law would affect the ability of organizations to work, promote and protect human rights.
"The new law will directly affect the ability of international organizations to work, promote and protect human rights in Russia and is clearly aimed at undermining the work of Russian civil society. I strongly urge the Russian authorities not to interfere in the valuable work of NGOs," he added.
