Russian senators approve bills supplementing foreign agent law

MOSCOW. July 19 (Interfax) - The Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament, voted in favor of bills supplementing Russian legislation on foreign agents on Wednesday.

In particular, the amendments ban foreign agents from receiving either financial or other material support from the state, including assistance for their artistic work.

In addition, the bills authorize the Russian Justice Ministry to oversee compliance with the foreign agent law by both foreign agents themselves and by those who cooperate with them.

If a violation is recorded, the Justice Ministry will have the right to warn such individuals and entities that breaking the law is inadmissible.

Those who ignore such warnings for a month will have to pay a fine, which will be set at up to 50,000 rubles for ordinary citizens, up to 100,000 for public servants, and up to 300,000 rubles for legal entities.

In addition, if information about a violation of the law is received, unscheduled inspections of foreign agents themselves and of those who help them evade the law may be conducted.

The document also requires government agencies, organizations and their staff as well as private individuals to abide by the restrictions related to foreign agent status in their work.