The Russian Ministry of Justice expanded its list of recognized foreign agents to include lawyer Anastasia Burakova, already identified as a foreign agent within the Russian Federation, and sociologist Igor Eidman, similarly designated as a foreign agent. This expansion was communicated through official channels of the ministry’s website, detailing the updated registry and the individuals newly categorized under foreign agent status.
The ministry’s notice also added the Kovcheg aid project for Russian immigrants to the foreign agent list, identifying Anastasia Burakova as the project’s leader. The move appears to align Burakova’s public activities with the framework that designates organizations and individuals as foreign agents when they engage in activities deemed to influence public opinion or policy from outside the country’s borders.
In addition, the Dozhd TV channel was proclaimed a foreign agent, while the ministry also described it as an organization considered undesirable in the Russian Federation. The publication framed the entity as a collection of individuals and groups carrying out activities under the Dozhd name, now subject to the same regulatory regime applied to foreign agents and related entities.
According to the ministry, Burakova reportedly played a role in creating and distributing materials produced by other foreign agents. The statement also notes that she publicly criticized the conduct of the military operation in Ukraine and spread information the government views as false about Russian policies and decisions. This pattern of activity is cited as grounds for the designation and ongoing scrutiny under the foreign agents statute.
Eidman, likewise, is said to have publicly supported Ukrainian forces and disseminated information the authorities consider inaccurate regarding Moscow’s actions. The ministry claimed that Eidman was instructed to work with foreign organizations and to participate in the production of content by individuals and legal entities identified as foreign agents within Russia. The assertion emphasizes the expectation of collaboration that aligns with the broader strategy for monitoring and regulating cross-border influence campaigns.
The ministry further stated that both Burakova and Eidman are presently residing abroad. This relocation appears to coincide with the legal status that accompanies foreign agents, often tied to restrictions on residence inside Russia and to ongoing oversight of international communications attributed to the designated individuals.
Simultaneously, the ministry announced the deregistration of Dozhd LLC and the Samara State Charity as foreign agents, noting that these entities had ceased acting under that status. The ministry also cited the liquidation of the Open Petersburg educational project, which had previously held foreign representative status. The announcements suggest a broader revocation of designation for several groups while reaffirming the regulatory framework governing those labeled as foreign agents and the entities connected to them.
The report referenced a prior attempt to sanction former deputy Ilya Yashin, who is also recognized as a foreign agent in the Russian Federation, for alleged violations of the foreign agents law. The sequence of actions reflects an ongoing policy approach that combines designation, deregistration, and enforcement to shape the public information environment and the associations that operate within Russia’s legal and administrative landscape.