Russian President Vladimir Putin officially enacted a law banning foreign "undesirable" non-governmental organizations, the Kremlin said Saturday.
The law allows authorities to bar foreign groups seen as threatening Russia’s defense capabilities or constitutional foundations and go after local activists working with them, the Kremlin statement said, France24 reported.
The law is seen as a “preventative measure,” necessary after the wave of western sanctions put in place over the Ukraine conflict.
Under the law, passed by the Russian parliament this week, authorities can ban foreign NGOs and go after their employees, who risk up to six years in prison or being barred from the country. It also allows them to block the bank accounts of the organizations until the NGOs “account for their actions” to the Russian authorities.
