Russia Bans “Undesirable” NGOs, Including Human Rights Watch
Non-governmental organizations in Russia were effectively banned on Sunday after Russian dictator Vladimir Putin passed a law that allows the government to prosecute them on the grounds they are 'undesirable.'
Workers of those organizations can now be sentenced to six harsh years in Russian prison, which can easily amount to a death sentence given the appalling conditions.
The new measure provoked an international outcry.
The U.S. State Department said it was "deeply troubled" while Amnesty International said the law threatened "fundamental freedoms." Human Rights Watch condemned it as a "piece of repressive legislation."
In a largely symbolic move the law was passed through both houses of the Russian parliament. The exact wording states that a foreign non-governmental organization can...