The Ministry of Justice of Russia traditionally on the evening of May 5 announced on renewal of the register of foreign agents. It consisted of eight individuals and four organizations.
Among the foreign agents were the head of the FBK (recognized by the Ministry of Justice as an extremist organization, performing the functions of a foreign agent, included in the register of organizations banned in Russia) and its head. the investigative department of this organization is Georgy Alburov. He is accused of spreading false news about the military and supporting anti-Russian sanctions. The singers are accused of leading an extremist organization calling for the overthrow of power.
In an interview with RBC, Alburov said he “absolutely doesn’t care” for foreign agents to be included in its registry.
Military analyst Yan Matveev was also on the list of foreign agents. The Ministry of Justice reported that it openly supports Ukraine and compares Russia with Nazi Germany.
Two former State Duma deputies have been added to the list: Alexander Osovtsov, member of the federal political council of the Solidarity movement, and Maria Maksakova-Igenbergs, widow of deputy Denis Voronenkov, who was killed in Kiev in 2017. His ministry accuses him of supporting Ukraine and calling for the overthrow of power in Russia. Both live abroad.
In addition, political scientists Ivan Preobrazhensky and Vladimir Pastukhov (the latter is a former employee of the Hermitage Capital Management fund of William Browder, known for the death of Sergei Magnitsky) and volunteer Elena Agafonova were considered foreign agents. He helped the family of Alexei Moskalev, who was the father of a girl from the Tula region who painted an anti-war picture at school and was sentenced to two years in prison. All three are accused of distributing content created by other foreign agents.
Preobrazhensky told RBC that the Justice Department’s decision is awaited for him, but that it will not affect his life in any way, since the political scientist has not lived in Russia for a long time.
Among the organizations that filled the register of the Ministry of Justice are the women’s socio-political movement “Soft Power”, Crisis Group SK SOS (North Caucasus SOS Crisis Group), Novosibirsk edition “Taiga.Info” (blocked). in March 2022), the public organization ” St. Petersburg Russian PEN Club.
Soft Power is a movement created last year by female politicians from different regions. Among others, it included ex-Mundep Yulia Galyamina from Moscow (known in the Russian Federation as a media agent), human rights activist Marina Litvinovich.
SOS Crisis Group is a human rights organization that provides assistance to LGBT people from the North Caucasus. st. Petersburg Russian PEN Club is an international human rights organization founded in 1921 by British author John Galsworthy, known for his Forsyte Saga series. The Ministry of Justice reported that the PEN club was spreading negative information about the Russian authorities and the armed forces. The organization’s director, Natalia Sivokhina, said she would appeal the ministry’s decision.
The Justice Department’s updated track record now includes 598 foreign agents. Usually the ministry announces the replenishment on Fridays, but a week ago, on April 28, the list of foreign agents was not updated. New defendants were added on April 21.