"A Washington-based political advocacy group, the International Republican
Institute (IRI), said on Thursday it was ordered to leave Russia because it is
funded by a US government agency.
Russian officials told IRI that it must halt
its work in Russia because it is financed by the US Agency for International
Development (USAID), which was forced out of the country earlier this year, IRI
spokeswoman Lisa Gates told RIA Novosti.
The Russian government in recent years has
tightened its oversight of foreign funding of political groups that are highly
critical of Russia’s leaders—measures it calls necessary to prevent outside
interference in its political process.
Political opposition groups, meanwhile, say
these initiatives are aimed at stifling dissent.
The closing of IRI in Russia comes on the heels
of a Russian law enacted in July requiring nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)
that receive foreign financing and engage in political activities to register as
“foreign agents.”
But Gates said that the organization’s looming
exit was precipitated not by the new NGO law, but rather by its funding from
USAID, which was ordered by Moscow in September to halt its work in
Russia.
“IRI was told by Russian officials it had to
leave the country since it was funded by USAID,” Gates said in emailed comments.
“It had nothing to do with the NGO law.”
Russian officials have previously accused IRI
of meddling in the country’s domestic politics.
The Russian Foreign Ministry could not
immediately be reached for comment on Thursday..."
at http://axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/Article_65218.shtml
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