Russian lawmakers vote to ramp up 'foreign agent' law, target individuals

Russia's lower house of parliament voted to pass legislation on Wednesday that would grant authorities new powers to label individuals "foreign agents" and also jail them for five years if they fail to report their activities correctly.

Russia's lower house of parliament voted to pass legislation on Wednesday that would grant authorities new powers to label individuals "foreign agents" and also jail them for five years if they fail to report their activities correctly. If adopted, the bills would significantly expand a law first adopted in 2012 allowing authorities to label foreign-funded NGOs engaged in political activity "foreign agents", a term that carries negative Soviet-era connotations.

Rights groups have criticised that law as being used as a tool to stifle dissent and harass civil society groups. It was broadened to include individual journalists and bloggers last year. Now under the draft legislation, individuals, including foreigners, involved in political activity in the interests of a foreign government can be labelled foreign agents.

Any individual gathering information concerning defence that could be used against Russia's national security would also be subject to the designation. The bill would also ban such people from holding positions in the civil service and subject them to bureaucratic scrutiny and spot checks.

To become law, the bill still needs to be approved by the upper house of parliament and signed by President Vladimir Putin. Human Rights Watch has said the amendments provided the Russian authorities with a new tool to harass independent groups.