Putin to propose amendments to bill on NGO, libel until Wednesday - spokesman
MOSCOW. July 10 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin sees no reason to postpone the adoption of a bill on non-governmental organizations, which, among other things, would qualify NGOs financed from abroad as 'foreign agents', until the fall, but he plans to propose his amendments to this bill and a bill on libel before Wednesday, Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.
"Putin will formulate his ideas and will send them to the deputies before tomorrow," Peskov told journalists on Tuesday.
"Putin made it clear that he does not support the idea of postponing this discussion until the next [State Duma] session, stressing at the same time that the matter should be finalized so as to avoid any legal mishaps," Peskov said.
The president will formulate his amendments to the bills based on proposals that human rights defenders aired at a Tuesday meeting with him, Peskov said.
The State Duma plans to consider a bill on re-introducing criminal liability for libel in the first reading on Wednesday. The second reading of the bill on NGOs is scheduled for Friday.
