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Russia

Last updated: May 23, 2025

Recent Developments

While we aim to maintain information that is as current as possible, we realize that situations can rapidly change. If you are aware of any additional information or inaccuracies on this page, please keep us informed; write to ICNL at ngomonitor@icnl.org.

Introduction

Although the Constitution of the Russian Federation guarantees the freedoms of association, assembly, and expression, Russia has experienced a steady tightening of civic space since the mid-2000s. Legislative amendments have expanded state power to monitor, audit, and restrict CSO activity. A major turning points came with the adoption of the 2012 “foreign agent” law, which requires organizations receiving foreign funding and engaging in broadly defined “political activity” to register as foreign agents and comply with onerous reporting requirements, under threat of fines or suspension. Subsequent legislation introduced the concept of “undesirable organizations” (2015), extended the foreign agent label to media outlets and individuals (2017–2020), and culminated in the 2022 Law on Foreign Influence, which consolidated these mechanisms into a single framework.

As a result, Russia’s civil society sector faces severe barriers to formation, operation, and international cooperation. Foreign funding is largely inaccessible, domestic sources remain limited, and public assemblies are subject to strict notification rules and location bans. Together with laws criminalizing “disrespect for authorities,” “fake news,” and participation in activities of banned organizations, these measures have created a highly restrictive environment for independent civic activism, human rights advocacy, and political dissent.

Civic Freedoms at a Glance

Organizational Forms(1) Corporate entities, which are those where founders (participants, members) have the right to participate in their management (that is, they gain the right of membership), including consumer cooperatives, public organizations, associations (unions), political parties, and trade unions.
(2) Unitary entities are those where founders may not become participants (they do not acquire the right of membership), including public charitable funds, private institutions, autonomous non-commercial organizations, and religious organizations.
Registration BodyMinistry of Justice
Approximate Number217,291 as of August 15, 2024 (Ministry of Justice)
Barriers to FormationCertain persons, including foreign persons and stateless persons, may not become founders, members, or participants.
Registration procedures are overly bureaucratic, with excessive documentation requirements.
Expanded justifications for unscheduled state audits.
Compulsory inclusion into the Unified Registry of Foreign Agents by the Ministry of Justice.
Barriers to OperationsBurdensome reporting requirements.
Supervisory power allowing for interference with internal affairs of public associations and NCOs.
Expanded justifications for unscheduled state audits.
Compulsory inclusion into the Unified Registry of Foreign Agents by the Ministry of Justice.
Activities of NCOs participating in political activities or implementing other activities constituting threat to the interests of Russia and receiving funds from U.S. and other foreign citizens or even stateless persons, as well as from foreign organizations shall be suspended.
Prohibition of all transactions involving finances or other assets to which an “undesirable organization” is party.
Prohibition on distributing information materials issued by an undesirable organization, and/or disseminated thereby, including through the media and/or with the use of the Internet and telecommunication network, as well as to produce or possess them for purposes of distribution.
Prohibition for an undesirable organization to implement programs (projects) in the territory of the Russian Federation, and for individuals and entities to engage in such activities on the territory of the Russian Federation and abroad.
Prohibition for accrediting international and foreign organizations as well as FAs as independent experts who can prepare a special anti-corruption expert review of draft laws and other legal acts.
The responsibility for compliance with FA restrictions lies both with an FA and any persons (individuals and legal entities) who, by their actions or inaction, may contribute to the violation of FA legislation.
Barriers to ResourcesForeign or international organizations wishing to make tax-exempt grants to Russian citizens or NCOs must be on a list of organizations approved by the Russian Government; access to this list is severely limited.
NCOs that carry out political activities and receive foreign funding are labeled as FAs.
Individuals and entities are prohibited from receiving assets from “undesirable” organizations.
Barriers to ExpressionPotential restrictions against NCO advocacy activity may arise through application of criminal or administrative penalties codes.
Advocacy activities often are considered to be equal to political activities, which may lead to NCO inclusion in the Registry of Foreign Agents.
After February 24, 2022, any comments contradicting the official information on the development of “special military operation” are considered an administrative or criminal offense.
Barriers to AssemblyExcessive force used against peaceful protesters.
Strict regulation of public mass events.
Administrative liability when minors are involved in unauthorized public events.
Administrative liability for organizers of a public event who failed to inform citizens and government bodies about a decision to cancel the public event as well as for filing a notification for holding a public event without indicating its purpose.

This section provides a brief overview of Russia’s legal framework for the promotion and protection of civic freedoms. Click a subheading for more, or click here to expand all subheadings.

This section provides an in-depth assessment of Russia’s legal environment for civic freedoms, including the barriers to the exercise of the freedoms of association (formation, operations, resources), expression, and peaceful assembly. Click a subheading for more, or click here to expand all subheadings.

ORGANIZATIONAL FORMS

On September 1, 2014, amendments to the Civil Code introduced a closed list of 11 organizational forms for non-commercial organizations (NCOs), including consumer cooperatives, public organizations, associations, organizations of realty owners, Cossack communities, communities of indigenous small population groups, foundations, institutions, autonomous non-commercial organizations, religious organizations, and public legal companies (Item 3, Article 50 of Civil Code).

Article 65.1 of the Civil Code divides legal entities into two types:  

  1. Corporate entities, in which founders, participants, and members have the right to participate in management (membership rights); and
  2. Unitary entities, in which founders do not acquire membership rights.
PUBLIC BENEFIT STATUS

NCOs may register as charities under the Charities Law. While this status confers heightened reporting obligations, it does not provide unique tax or other benefits. Tax incentives in Russia are typically tied to activities listed in the Tax Code. Some regional or local laws also offer additional benefits regardless of federal charity registration.

Amendments to the Tax Code in 2011 exempted in-kind contributions to NCOs from profit tax and value-added tax (VAT) and extended VAT exemptions previously available only to state budget funded institutions providing social services (i.e., in the areas of culture, art, health care, education, and services to the needy) to NCOs providing the same services.

In April 2010, amendments to the NCO Law introduced the concept of socially-oriented NCOs (SONCOs), which are potentially eligible for state support. SONCOs engage in a wide range of activities—from traditional charitable work to free legal aid and human rights protection. Nineteen types of activities were recognized as socially-oriented as of August 2024. The legal framework governing SONCOs includes the following acts:

BARRIERS TO FORMATION

Russian law imposes several restrictions on who may found, join, or participate in an NCO. Amongnon-citizens, only foreign nationals and stateless persons “legally domiciled in the Russian Federation” may serve as founders, members, or participants in NCOs. The following categories of persons are prohibited from serving as founders, members, or participants in NCOs:

  • Foreign nationals or stateless persons whose stay is deemed “undesirable”
  • Individuals on the government’s money laundering and anti-terrorist financing watch list
  • Organizations suspended under the Law on Countering Extremist Activities
  • Individuals found by court decision to have participated in extremist activity
  • Individuals currently serving a criminal sentence

Public associations (PAs), such as public organizations and public foundations, may only be founded by natural persons, although other public organizations may later become members (Articles 18 and 19, Law on PAs). Legal persons, including commercial entities, may serve as founders of all other forms of NCOs.

All NCOs must complete state registration in accordance with the NCO Law, although PAs register under the Law on PAs. The registration process for all types of NCOs is considered burdensome, requiring submission of extensive documentation to the authorized governmental body. The same is true for foreign NCOs seeking to establish branch offices in Russia.

BARRIERS TO OPERATIONS

Allowed Activities

Russian law places few restrictions on the types of activities that NCOs may undertake as their primary objectives. Most forms of NCOs may pursue mutual benefit activities (Article 6(1), NCO Law and Articles 5, 8, Law on PAs), while foundations must engage in public benefit activities (Article 118(1), Civil Code, Article 7(1), NCO Law, and Article 10, Law on PAs). Institutions may conduct broadly-defined managerial, socio-cultural, or other activities of a not-for-profit nature (Article 120, Civil Code, Article 9, NCO Law, and Article 11, Law on PAs). Charities must promote at least one of the enumerated charitable activities indicated in the Charities Law (Article 2). Certain specialized organizations, such as political organizations and labor unions, are subject to additional limits.

Reporting Requirements

PAs and NCOs face extensive reporting requirements. PAs are required to report on all funding and property received from foreign sources (Articles 29, 38, Law on PAs). Article 32 of the NCO Law imposes similar obligations for funds and other assets received from both foreign and local sources. Repeated failure to report this information in a timely manner can lead to a court-ordered termination of the organization and its removal from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities. New electronic reporting forms have simplified the reporting process somewhat.

Oversight

Articles 29 and 38 of the Law on PAs and Article 32 of the NCO Law grant registration authorities broad inspection powers, including the right to:

  • Demand governing body resolutions and internal documents;
  • Send representatives to any organizational events, including internal strategy sessions;
  • Review compliance of activities and expenditures with the organization’s statutory goals, even without subject-matter expertise;
  • Conduct scheduled or unscheduled audits, including when violations are alleged or when information suggests that an NCO should be registered as a “foreign agent” (FA).

Amendments to the NCO Law adopted on February 21, 2014, expanded the list of reasons for unscheduled audits of NCOs. NCOs may now be audited for failing to eliminate violations identified in written notifications within the required time, if the MoJ issues an order to conduct an audit, or if a government body files an application indicating that it violated the law or engaged in terrorism or extremism

Article 32 of the NCO Law allows the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to unilaterally place an NCO on the FA registry if it determines that the organization meets the criteria, subject to appeal in court. Additionally, if the state body authorized to conduct audits (e.g., the MoJ) receives information suggesting that an NCO is engaging in activity that would qualify it as an foreign agent (FA) but it is not registered as such, it may conduct an unscheduled audit of that NCO.

Article 23 of the NCO Law also provides the registration authority with additional supervisory powers over the branches, representative offices, and affiliates of foreign NCOs:

  • The government can ban any program of a branch office of a foreign NCO, with no guidance on the grounds for such a decision. The activity must be terminated upon notification; failure to do so may result in liquidation of the office and its exclusion from the register.
  • The registration authority may block the transfer of funds by a foreign NCO’s branch, representative office, or affiliate to particular recipients in order to protect the Constitutional system, morality, health, rights, and lawful interests of other persons, and with the aim of defending the country and the state security. Foreign NCOs have the right to appeal such actions.

According to Federal Law No. 117 of May 2, 2015, the MoJ may draw up reports on the administrative offenses of NCOs, including the structural units of international organizations and foreign non-profit organizations, PAs, political parties, and religious organizations. This Law expanded the MoJ’s authority to penalize managers of representative offices and branches of foreign NCOs for violating provisions of the NCO Law.

Obligations for Foreign Agents

NCOs designated as FAs face heightened compliance burdens, including:

  • Maintaining separate accounting of funds and other property from local and foreign sources;
  • Submitting bi-annual activity reports and quarterly expenditure reports (other NCOs are required to report on an annual basis); and
  • Undergoing annual independent audits.

Authorities are also empowered to interfere in the internal operations of NCO-FAs and to suspend their activities. They may conduct scheduled and unscheduled annual audits, including of their activities. In addition, the authorized government agency (e.g., Rosfinmonitoring) can require submission of additional information if an NCO receives a transfer over RUB 100,000 (USD 1,200 as of September 2025).

Obligations for Foreign Organizations

Under the NCO Law, foreign organizations operating with registered offices in Russia must undergo annual audits by Russian firms and submit audit reports to the authorized government agency, which will publish them online and in the media. The authorized government agency may also conduct its own audits.

Restrictions on Anti-Corruption Expert Reviews

International and foreign organizations, as well as FAs, are prohibited from conducting independent anti-corruption expert reviews of draft laws and regulations (Federal Law No. 362-FZ of October 11, 2018, on Amending Article 5 of the Federal Law on Anti-Corruption Expertise of Normative Legal Acts and Drafts of Normative Legal).

Counter-terrorism Requirements

Federal Law No. 407-FZ of December 2, 2019 bans individuals whose assets have been frozen for terrorism allegations from being founders, participants, or members of NCOs. The law lacks clear criteria for freezing (blocking) assets, raising concern about arbitrary application.

Participation in Activities of Foreign NCOs

Federal Law No. 409-FZ, of July 31, 2023, on Amendments to the Federal Law on NCOs, prohibits Russian citizens from participating in activities of unregistered branches or representative offices of foreign NCOs. These amendments also allow registration for an affiliate or representative office of an foreign NCO to be denied if a prior affiliate was removed from the register within the last three years for legal violations.

Federal Laws No. 412-FZ of August 4, 2023, on Amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses, and No. 413-FZ of August 4, 2023, on Amendments to the Criminal Code and Articles 31 and 151 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, introduced administrative and criminal liability for organizing or participating in activities of unregistered foreign NCOs. As of August 2024, 61 foreign NCOs were registered in the Russian Federation.

Barriers to International Contact

Amendments to the Criminal Code define “state treason” broadly, exposing NCOs interacting with foreign organizations to potential criminal liability. State treason includes not only espionage and sharing state secrets but also providing “financial, material, technical, consultative or other assistance” deemed damaging to Russia’s security.

Law on Undesirable Organizations

Federal Law No. 129-FZ of June 3, 2015, introduced the concept of “undesirable organizations” and created administrative and criminal penalties for participation in their activities.

  • Administrative penalties: Administrative penalties apply both if an “undesirable organization” implements activities (Article 20.33)or for participating in such activities within Russia. Fines for citizens are RUB 5,000-15,000 (USD 60-180 as of September 2025); fine for officials range from RUB 20,000-50,000 (USD 240-600); and those for legal entities are RUB 50,000-100,000 (USD 600-1,200).
  • Escalation to criminal liability: After two administrative offense within a year, violators can face criminal penalties, including fines of RUB 300,000-500,000 (USD 3,600-6,000) or two to three times the annual income of the offender; compulsory work for up to 360 hours; forced labor for up to five years with or without restriction of liberty for up to two years; or imprisonment for two to six years with or without deprivation of the right to occupy certain positions or engage in certain activities for up to ten years.
  • Exemption: Individuals who voluntarily cease participation in the activity of the “undesirable” organization before prosecution may be exempt from criminal liability.

A series of laws further restricted contact with “undesirable” organizations:

  • Federal Law No. 35-FZ of March 28, 2017, added a ban on creating or participating in legal entities within Russia on behalf of an “undesirable” organization, closing perceived loopholes.
  • Federal Law No. 530-FZ of December 30, 2020 (the so-called Law on Censorship in Social Media), requires social media platforms with more than 500,000 daily users to monitor and remove illegal content, including information and links to materials of “undesirable” organizations.
  • Federal Law No. 230-FZ of June 28, 2021 (amendments to the so-called Dima Yakovlev Law), expanded grounds for designating the activities of foreign NCOs as “undesirable” to include providing intermediary financial services to an “undesirable organization. It also prohibited Russian citizens and legal entities from participating in the activities of “undesirable” organizations abroad.
  • Federal Law No.232-FZ of June 28, 2021, strengthened administrative liability by penalizing any form of “participation” in the activities of “undesirable” organizations, not just direct implementation of such activities.
  • Federal Law No. 292-FZ of July 1, 2021, expanded Article 284-1 of the Criminal Code, to include three different crimes related to managing the activities of an “undesirable” organization: (1) participation in any form in the activities of an “undesirable” organization; (2) providing or collecting funds or providing financial services to such an organization; and (3) organizing activities of an “undesirable” organization in Russia. Violations are punishable by compulsory labor for up to 360 hours, compulsory labor for up to four years with possible restraint of liberty for up to two years, and imprisonment for a term of one to five years.
  • Federal Law No. 260-FZ of July 14, 2022, extended criminal liability for participation in, financing, or organizing the activities of an “undesirable” organization to actions committed outside Russia, rather just within the territory of Russia.
  • A legislative package signed on August 8, 2024 (Federal Laws No. 219-FZ, 220-FZ, and 264-FZ) expanded the definition of “undesirable organization” to include foreign or international organization whose founders are foreign state bodies (except international intergovernmental organizations of which Russia is a member).

Law on Foreign Influence

A new stage in the restriction of international contact began after the adoption of the Law on Foreign Influence (Federal Law No. 255-FZ of July 14, 2022) and a number of related federal laws and regulations, which essentially ban all international contact with “unfriendly” states. As of August 2024, the list of foreign states and territories deemed to be “unfriendly” consisted of 49 states, including the United States and all 27 EU member states.

Amendments to the Law on Foreign Influence signed on April 21, 2025, further broadened the grounds for designation as a “foreign agent.” The new provisions cover:

  • Assisting in the implementation of decisions of international organizations in which Russia does not participate, if such decisions are deemed to threaten Russian security;
  • Involving citizens, including minors, in political activity; collecting targeted information in the military or military-technical field; creating or disseminating mass communication materials; messages, as well as other types of activities defined in Article 4 of the Law on Foreign Influence; and
  • Financing political pr other activities defined in Article 4 of the Law.

The amendments appear to target Russian exiles supporting cases against Russia in the European Court of Human Rights and those investigating and reporting on the country’s attempts to bypass sanctions.

Restrictions in the Field of Education

On top of this, Russian authorities adopted restrictions on international contact in the field of education Federal Law No. 85-FZ of April 5, 2021, on Amendments to the Federal Law on Education, introduced restrictions on cooperation between educational institutions and foreign partners. It also introduced prior government approval requirements for the newly created category of “educational outreach activities,” which is broadly defined to include all seminars, roundtables, trainings, and similar events, and could therefore apply to training organized by NCOs.

BARRIERS TO RESOURCES

Foreign Funding

Since 2020, foreign funding has been largely inaccessible to most Russian NCOs. Many organizations have decided not to seek foreign funding for fear of being designated as “foreign agents” and listed in the Unified FA Registry. Being labeled as an FA poses additional administrative burdens on NCOs, and damages their reputation, as the phrase “foreign agent” is generally perceived to mean “foreign spy.”

Economic Activities

NCOs—including charities—may engage in economic activities as long as these advance their statutory purposes, but may not pursue the generation of profit as its primary purpose (Article 50(3), Civil Code; Articles 2 and 24(2), NCO Law; Article 37, Law on PAs; and Article 12, Charities Law). Profits from economic activities are generally taxed like those of commercial entities, with some regional and local tax benefits for qualifying NCOs.

State Funding Because foreign resources are scarce, Russian NCOs increasingly rely on state funding. The Presidential Grants Fund for the Development of Civil Society, created in 2017, has become a key funding source, supporting about 47,000 projects with an estimated total budget of RUB 138 billion in its first seven years. This includes funds allocated through federal competitions, those provided by the Presidential Grants Fund to the regions to co-finance their competitions, and funds raised by the NCOs themselves. Regional governments also run grant competitions, mostly in the social sphere.

BARRIERS TO EXPRESSION

Neither the Civil Code nor the NCO Law explicitly limits NCOs advocacy, lobbying, or participation in election campaigns, provided they comply with federal election laws (Article 27, Law on PAs).

Charities, however, are prohibited from using their assets to support political parties, movements, or campaigns (Article 2(2), Charities Law). In addition, religious organizations, governmental and municipal institutions, international PAs, and international movements are prohibited from making donations to candidates (Article 58 (6), Federal Law No. 19-FZ on RF President elections of January 10, 2003; and Article 66 (7), Federal Law No. 175-FZ on RF State Duma deputies’ elections of July 20, 2002, as amended). However, these prohibitions do not appear to extend to involvement in lobbying or other politically-related activities.

Restrictions on Foreign Agents

Amendments to the NCO Law restrict the political activities of NCOs designated as foreign agents. Any NCO engaged in political activity and receiving or intending to receive foreign funding must register with the Ministry of Justice’s Foreign Agents Registry. Political activity is broadly defined to include any involvement in attempts to influence state decision-making or shape public opinion. The risk of designation as an FA—which brings additional reporting obligations, annual audits, and reputational harm—has had a strong chilling effect, deterring many NCOs from political participation altogether.

Speech and Media Restrictions

Since 2019, a series of laws have further curtailed freedom of expression:

  • The “Klishas Package,” adopted in 2019, introduced administrative penalties for disseminating in the media or online deliberately false, socially significant information presented as reliable, where such information creates risk to life or health, property, public order, public safety, or the functioning of infrastructure such as transport, communications, credit institutions, or energy facilities. The package also penalizes content that shows “obvious disrespect” toward society, the Constitution, state symbols, or authorities. Upon notice from the Prosecutor General, Roskomnadzor may order removal of such content and block access to sites that fail to comply. Violators face fines of RUB 30,000-100,000 (USD 360-1,200 as of September 2025).
  • Federal Law No. 530-FZ of December 30, 2020, known as the Law on Censorship in Social Media, requires large social networks (defined as those with more than 500,000 daily users), to proactively monitor and remove content expressing “disrespect” for the state, calling for protests, spreading “fake news,” or linking to “undesirable” organizations.

Federal Law No. 538-FZ of December 20, 2020, on Amendments to Article 128-1 of the Criminal Code, broadened the definition of libel to include public statements made online and increases penalties, including imprisonment for of up to five years.

BARRIERS TO ASSEMBLY

Article 31 of the Russian Constitution guarantees the right to peaceful assembly: “Citizens of the Russian Federation shall have the right to assemble peacefully, without weapons, hold rallies, meetings and demonstrations, marches and pickets.”

The primary law governing public events is Federal Law No. 54-FZ of June 19, 2004, on Meetings, Rallies, Demonstrations, Marches and Pickets, known as the Law on Meetings.  Several other laws address specific kinds of assemblies:

  • Federal Law No. 51-FZ of May 18, 2005, on Election of Deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly;
  • Federal Constitutional Law No. F-FKZ of June 28, 2004, on referendums;
  • Federal Law No. 19-FZ of January 10, 2003, on Elections of the President; and
  • Federal Law No. 125-FZ of September 26, 1997, on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Association, which regulates religious rites and ceremonies.

Since 2020, amendments to the Law on Meetings have significantly tightened restrictions:

Limitations on Eligible Organizers

Only Russian citizens may organize public events. The following are prohibited from organizing public events:

  • Individuals deemed legally incapable,
  • Those serving criminal sentences,
  • Individuals convicted of crimes against the constitutional system, national security, or public security and safety, or with repeated administrative penalties, and
  • Political parties, other public or religious associations, their regional branches or other subdivisions are.

Advance Notification

The organizers of a public event must file a written notification with the government that contains:

  • The organizers’ full names, addresses, and phone numbers;
  • Those persons authorized to perform regulatory functions while holding the event;
  • The goal and form, date, start and finish times, and route (including information about vehicles);
  • The projected number of participants;
  • The methods planned to ensure public peace;
  • The need for medical assistance; and
  • Confirmation if loudspeakers will be used.

The notification must be submitted to an executive body of the Russian territorial subdivision or a local self-governance body 10-15 days before the event. The only exceptions are that notifications for group pickets may be submitted up to 3 days in advance, while notifications are not needed at all for individual pickets.

The authorized body is obligated to confirm the date, time, and receipt of the notification, but is otherwise not obligated to reply. The authorities may propose a change in time or place within three days of receiving the notification. Organizers must inform the body whether it accepts the changes at least three days before the event date. However, refusal to accept the proposed changed is illegal, thus rendering the opportunity for appeal useless.

According to Federal Law No. 367-FZ of October 11, 2018, organizers are required to inform citizens and provide a written notification to the authorities at least one day in advance if an event is canceled. This requirement is difficult to fulfill when last-minute disruptions occur. Article 20.23 of the Code of Administrative Offenses provides for administrative liability for organizers of public events that do not fulfil this obligation, as well as those that file a notification that does not indicate the event’s purpose.

Time, Place, and Manner Restrictions

Public events are banned in locations that pose threats to buildings or structures or other threats to the safety of the participants. In addition, events are banned:

  • Near hazardous production facilities;
  • On elevated roads, long-distance railway lines, and oil, gas, and product pipelines;
  • Near presidential residences, courts, and correctional institutions; and
  • In border zones, unless a special permit is obtained.

Restrictions tend to be lightened if protesters are challenging policy without questioning the authority or legitimacy of the government, such as truckers who protested taxes on their vehicles by blocking the highways in 2015-2016.

When multiple groups request use of the same location for public events, priority goes to the event that submitted notification first. This effectively prevents counter-demonstrations from being held simultaneously.

Responsibilities of Organizers and Participants

Organizers and participants are responsible for actions that lead to the “creation of impediments to pedestrian traffic,” the “involvement of additional police personnel and equipment,” or that “exceed the norms of occupancy of a territory.” If organizers fail to satisfy legal obligations, they also bear civil liability for harm caused by participants.

Article 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses imposes administrative liability for involving minors in unauthorized public events.

Enforcement Authorities have used excessive force to disband peaceful demonstrations. The National Guard was created in 2016 with the authority to suppress any mass action per Federal Law No. 227-FZ of July 3, 2016.

Additional Resources

This section contains links to external reports and news reports relevant to civic freedoms. Click a subheading for more, or click here to expand all subheadings.

GLOBAL INDEX RANKINGS
Ranking BodyRankRanking Scale
(best – worst possible)
UN Human Development Index64 (2023)1 – 193
World Justice Project Rule of Law Index113 (2024)1 – 140
Fund for Peace Fragile States Index48 (2024)179 – 1
Transparency International154 (2024)1 – 180
Freedom House: Freedom in the WorldStatus: Not Free
Political Rights: 4
Civil Liberties: 8 (2025)		Free/Partly Free/Not Free
40 – 0
60 – 0
REPORTS
UN Universal Periodic Review ReportsRussia UPR page
Reports of UN Special RapporteursReport of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor: Final warning: death threats and killings of human rights defenders (2021)
Council on Foundations Country NotesRussia country note
U.S. State DepartmentCountry Report on Human Rights Practices 2024: Russia
Human Rights WatchForeign Agent Laws in the Authoritarian Playbook (2024)
IMF Country Reports• Russian Federation: 2020 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report (2021)
• Russian Federation: Selected Issues Paper (2019)
Journal of National Security Law & PolicyFARA in Focus: What can Russia’s Foreign Agent Law tell us about America’s? (2021)
German Marshall FundDemocratic Russian Civil Society Outside Russia? A Window of Opportunity for Support (2024)
CEERS Working PapersManaging Society: “Sovereign democracy” and Civil Society in Putin’s Russia (2021)
International Center for Not-for-Profit Law Online LibraryRussia
NEWS

Russia outlaws international NGO Amnesty International as “undesirable” in latest crackdown on dissent (May 2025)
On May 19, 2025, Russia declared Amnesty International an “undesirable organization,” effectively banning the human rights NGO from operating in the country. The group condemned the move, vowing to redouble its work documenting and exposing human rights violations in Russia. Founded in 1961 and based in London, Amnesty International advocates for human rights worldwide and is known for its campaigns in defense of those it recognizes as prisoners of conscience. It has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights for its work.

Russia-linked phishing campaigns ensnare Russian and Belarusian civil society (August 2024)
Access Now’s Digital Security Helpline and the Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Toronto (“the Citizen Lab”), in collaboration with First Department, Arjuna Team, and RESIDENT.ngo, have uncovered at least two separate spear-phishing campaigns targeting Russian and Belarusian nonprofit organizations, Russian independent media, international NGOs active in Eastern Europe, and at least one former U.S. ambassador. The Citizen Lab attributes one of the two campaigns to a known Russian threat group called COLDRIVER, with the other likely to be the work of a different, previously unnamed actor. Spear phishing describes a highly personalized way of attacking victims, using carefully tailored information that aligns with a target’s personal and professional experiences and activities.

The UN wants to tackle Russia’s human rights crisis. Will it? (December 2022)
In October, the United Nations appointed a special rapporteur to monitor the human rights situation in Russia. This followed a year of advocacy work by Russian human rights organizations. Russians regularly face violations of their constitutional rights, and the war on Ukraine has only exacerbated the situation.

ARCHIVED NEWS

First criminal case opened against a foreign agent because of COVID-19 fake news (April 2020) (Russian)

Russian Lawmakers Expand Scope of ‘Undesirable’ Groups (October 2018)

Russia bans two foreign election-monitoring groups (March 2018)

Russia warns of additional penalties for US media (January 2018)

Duma passes first reading of bill designating individuals as foreign agent media (January 2018)

Russia gives early approval to new bill on foreign media (January 2018)

Independent Think Tank Faces Charges (September 2017)

Russia to Strike Eight Organizations Off ‘Foreign Agents’ Register (May 2017)

Russian government says foreign agent nonprofits are getting millions (May 2017)

Russian Lawmakers Target Anticorruption Group Transparency International (May 2017)

Violations and state restrictions on freedom of speech, freedom of publication, freedom of artistic creativity (May 2017)

Khodorkovsky’s Open Russia NGO put on “undesirable organizations” list (April 2017)

Russia Bans Jehovah’s Witnesses, Calling It an Extremist Group (April 2017)

Russia protests: Kremlin condemns ‘provocation’ (March 2017)

Russia Bans More International Organizations (August 2016)

Russia moves toward alarming new counter-terrorism law (June 2016)

Russia’s Bad Example (March 2016)

Targeting of NGOs Ensnares Journalist Associations (October 2015)

A Cloud over Russian Civil Society (March 2015)

“Memorial” and other groups forced to register under “foreign agents” Law (November 2014)

“Memorial” and four other groups forced to register under “foreign agents” Law (July 2014)

Russia Quietly Tightens Reins on Internet With a ‘Bloggers Law‘ (May 2014)

Law on ‘foreign NGOs an agents’ does not contradict Russian Constitution (April 2014)

First Ruling on Civil Suit Under ‘Foreign Agents’ Law (December 2013)

Russian General Prosecutor, Yury Chaika, Speaks on NGO inspections in St. Petersburg (July 2013)

Russian court fines NGO $13,000 under ‘foreign agent’ law (May 2013)

Kremlin Promises Information on $1B in NGO Funding (April 2013)

Leading Russian Human Rights NGOs launch challenge at European Court to ‘Foreign Agent’ Law (February 2013)

Freedom House Condemns New Restrictions on Freedom of Assembly in Moscow (January 2013)

Russia criticizes EU on human rights ahead of summit (December 2012)

Medvedev convinced civil society developing in Russia (December 2012)

USAID exit hurts Russian election watchdog (December 2012)

Internet restriction law comes into force (November 2012)

Russia’s ‘Foreign Agents’ law hit by paperwork pile-up (November 2012)

New EU Rights envoy promises to raise issues with Russia, Kazakhstan (November 2012)

Russia warns U.S. over human rights bill (November 2012)

Russia: leading NGO set to close due to funds shortfall (November 2012)

Merkel Questions Russia’s Human Rights Record (November 2012)

Transparency International refuses to comply with NCO law (November 2012)

Putin suggests some flexibility on anti-dissent laws (November 2012)

Another law in blatant violation of basic international human rights standards (October 2012)

Russia’s upper house approves law on fines for foreign agents (October 2012)

Russia’s NGO Law will inevitably result in a contraction of space and opportunity for NGOs (October 2012)

Rights group says its researcher in Moscow is threatened (October 2012)

Russia’s troublesome “traditional values” resolution (October 2012)

USAID shutdown in Russia will hurt civil society (September 2012)

Kremlin evicts USAID from Russia in blow to ‘reset’ (September 2012)

Russia demands USAID halt work (September 2012)

European Parliament concerned over worsening civil society climate in Russia (September 2012)

Russian regional administration forbids employees contact with ‘foreign agents’ as new NGO law gains traction (September 2012)

Human-rights organizations to boycott new law on NGOs (September 2012)

Russian rights groups taking ‘multi-step’ approach against NGO law (September 2012)

Beyond text, few parallels between new Russian and existing U.S. CSO laws (August 2012)

Clinton affirms Russian human rights activists are not U.S. agents (August 2012)

“A kind of Soviet flavor”: Putin taking lessons from Lukashenko? (August 2012)

Assembling to promote a positive attitude proscribed (August 2012)

Two years in prison for Pussy Riot (August 2012)

Russia needs Human Rights Ombudsmen in every region – Putin (August 2012)

Russia’s law on volunteering can be adopted in autumn (August 2012)

NGO law affects Russia’s civil society (August 2012)

Blogger and leader of protest movement Aleksei Navalny charged with embezzlement after labeling an official a “foreign agent” (August 2012)

New amendments on volunteering to be developed (July 2012)

Details of “Foreign Agents” Law (July 2012)

“Foreign Agents” Law modeled after US law, says Putin (July 2012)

Russians Support Recent Laws Restricting Freedoms – Poll (July 2012)

Russian rights activists refuse to comply with NGO law (July 2012)

Drive to give legal status to volunteers (July 2012)

The Internet law: A good bad example of Russia’s backsliding (July 2012)

Russian parliament approves restrictions on foreign-funded NGOs (July 2012)

Secretary of State Clinton discusses “disturbing” Russian NGO Law in CoD Governing Council remarks (July 2012)

EU High Representative “highly concerned” about amendments to Russia’s NGO law (July 2012)

PACE Rapporteur Slams Russian Slander Bill As ‘Invitation to Punish’ Kremlin Critics (July 2012)

Russia’s Ruling Party Seeks ‘Foreign Agent’ Media Bill (July 2012)

UN human rights experts warn of potential damage by Russia’s draft law to civil society (July 2012)

Parties Ask Russian Constitutional Court To Review Demonstrations Law (July 2012)

Looking for Foreign Agents in All the Wrong Places (July 2012)

NGO laws indicate Putin’s strategic failure, political frailty (July 2012)

Russia’s Internet blacklist looms in freedom crackdown (July 2012)

Transparency International calls on Russia to reject draconian amendments to laws governing NGOs (July 2012)

Putin signs draconian law restricting freedom of assembly (June 2012)

New Russian bill aims to brand NGOs as ‘foreign agents’ (June 2012)

Parliament to label externally-funded NGOs as foreign agents (June 2012)

Law on rallies awaits Putin’s signature (June 2012)

Putin signs law with new restrictions on peaceful assembly (June 2012)

Russian President Putin defends Russia’s human rights record after EU meeting (June 2012)

Russia’s civil society ‘beats authorities’ in tackling corruption (May 2012)

Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor meets civil society advocates from Russia (April 2012)

Freedom of speech concerns arise as protest singers face seven-year jail sentences (April 2012)

Nonviolent protests in Russia: About the elections or also for the future? (March 2012)

International NGOs urge authorities of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia to take measures to protect journalists (January 2012)

Why Russia’s democrats need West’s support (October 2011)

Government to increase support for NGOs – Medvedev (September 2011)

Arkhangelsk NGOs adapting to Russian reality (September 2011)

Russian court makes foreign donations to NGOs tax free (September 2011)

The Rebirth of Russian Civil Society (July 2011)

Medvedev urges development of endowment funds (June 2011)

European Court Rebukes Law on Parties (April 2011)

U.N. says Russian efforts on human rights fall short (February 2011)

The foregoing information was collected by the ICNL Civic Freedom Monitor partner organization in Russia.