Live UpdateFrom the Liveblog of Sunday, March 7, 2021

Russian rights group disbands under ‘foreign agent’ pressure

By AP 7 March 2021, 5:36 pm 0 Edit

A longtime human rights organization in Russia announces it’s disbanding because of pressure from the country’s foreign agents law.

The law requires organizations and individuals involved in vaguely defined political activity and who receive assistance from abroad to register as foreign agents. It seen as an attempt to discredit activists because of the pejorative connotation that the term “foreign agent” carries for many Russians.

The organization For Human Rights says in a statement that it is disbanding, citing the inclusion of its leader, Lev Ponomarev, on the Justice Ministry’s list of foreign agents.

It also says the law could subject its members to fines and imprisonment. Ponomarev, a veteran human rights activist, founded the organization in 1997.