Moscow, August 21, 2024, The Europe Today: On Tuesday, lawmakers in the lower house of Russia’s parliament, the State Duma, proposed adding Deutsche Welle and the British Council to the list of “undesirable” organizations in Russia. The proposal was sent to the Prosecutor General’s Office by Vasily Piskarev, Chairman of the Committee on Security and Corruption Control.
Piskarev outlined the implications of this designation, stating, “We mean blocking their accounts, closing their branches and offices, and banning the distribution of information materials.” He further warned that those who continue to cooperate with these organizations could face administrative and criminal penalties.
This proposal follows previous actions against Deutsche Welle, which was banned from broadcasting in Russia on February 3, 2022, and subsequently labeled a “foreign agent” in March 2022. At the time, Deutsche Welle’s Director General, Peter Limbourg, condemned the move, calling it an “arbitrary decision by the Russian authorities” and “a further attack on press freedom.”
Russia’s law on “undesirable” organizations was expanded in August, allowing any foreign organization to be declared “undesirable” if its founders or stakeholders include state bodies of a foreign country. The penalties for involvement with such organizations are severe, including imprisonment of up to six years.
The number of organizations labeled as “undesirable” in Russia has increased significantly since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, with nearly 200 organizations classified under this designation as of August 14, 2024.
