MOSCOW, December 13 (RAPSI) - Russia's Justice Ministry has warned a regional branch of the No to Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Foundation over alleged violations of the new “foreign agent” law, Kommersant reported on Thursday.
The Saratov branch of the non-profit organization faces closure after failing to report on the funds it received from foreign organizations in 2011.
"The organization did not provide any information on the amount of funds received from foreign sources in 2011," the Justice Ministry says.
This latest notification from the Ministry, dated November 28, was the second time the foundation had been warned it would be breaking the law unless it reported the foreign funding it received. The first was sent on June 29.
The Foundation can appeal the warning, or risk being taken to court by the Justice Ministry. The Saratov branch could be forced to close.
“This is the first known case to have been initiated under the controversial new law, and could set the tone for further cases,” the Foundation’s lawyer Ramil Akhmetgaliyev, told Kommersant.
Kommersant was not able to get a comment from the Ministry before going to press.
The new law requiring Russian non-profit organizations financed from abroad and involved in political activity to register as foreign agents came into force on November 20.
Proponents of the law, responding to criticism by human rights campaigners, had previously said it would only apply to those NGOs carrying out political activity.
