State Duma adopts package of bills to improve control over foreign agents

MOSCOW. July 13 (Interfax) - A package of bills improving laws on foreign agents passed its third, final reading in the Russian State Duma on Thursday.

One of the bills vests the Russian Justice Ministry with the right to monitor compliance with foreign agent laws by both foreign agents and those who interact with them.

The ministry will be able to warn such individuals of the inadmissibility of violations of the law.

"If this does not help and the ministry's warning is ignored for a month, the offenders will be fined. The fine will reach 50,000 rubles for individuals, 100,000 rubles for officials, and 300,000 rubles for legal entities," State Duma Security Committee Chairman Vasily Piskaryov told reporters when commenting on the initiative.

Should a violation of the law be reported, the bill allows surprise checks on foreign agents and those helping them circumvent the law.

The bill obligates the authorities, entities, officials and individuals to bear in mind the restrictions imposed by foreign agent status when carrying out their activities.

The ban on public financial assistance for foreign agents is supplemented with a ban on public material support.

"For our part, we will continue to monitor and fine-tune foreign agent laws to close every loophole for individuals under foreign influence trying to interfere in our country's internal affairs," Piskaryov said.