Scientist Lipsits designated foreign agent in Russia - Justice Ministry

MOSCOW. March 15 (Interfax) - An exiled Russian scientist with a doctoral degree in economics has been assigned foreign agent status, the Russian Justice Ministry said on its website on Friday.

"[Igor] Lipsits took part in creating and disseminating the messages and materials of foreign agents to an unlimited number of people [and] disseminated false information on the decisions and policies of Russian public authorities. He called for unfriendly countries to intensify unlawful activities towards Russia, [and] for Russian assets to be handed over to fund Ukraine and arm it with more weapons," the statement said.

The ministry cited the same grounds for including director Roman Liberov, actor Semyon Treskunov, journalist Marianna Belenkaya, former Novosibirsk lawmaker Svetlana Kaverzina, and civic activists Kirill Ishutin and Oleg Kashintsev in the register of foreign agents.

All except Ishutin and Kaverzina reside abroad.