The Foundation is engaged in protecting the rights of prisoners, representing their interests in courts and international human rights institutions, as well as publishing materials on the problems of the Russian penitentiary system. The organization is headed by human rights activist Lev Ponomarev, who also has the status of a «foreign agent».
In March 2021, the organization briefly disappeared from the federal list of NGO «foreign agents». In the Ministry of Justice it was explained by a technical failure.
Name
«In Defense of Prisoners' Rights» Foundation
Field of activity
Help for prisoners and convicts
Status
«Foreign agent» (NGO)
Reason for recognition
It was mentioned in the Ministry of Justice' registry that the "In Defense of Prisoners' Rights" Foundation was deemed a foreign agent due to receiving foreign funding from Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom (Germany).
Year of recognition
2019
Status description
Since 2012, such status can be obtained by non-profit organizations registered in Russia, and from 2020 unregistered public associations, which, according to the Russian government:
a) receive foreign funding,
b) participate in «political activity», which is understood as any public activity.
Who recognizes:
Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation.
Responsibilities:
NPO-"foreign agents» are required to provide a report on their activities, audit reports, and data on the organization’s personnel. In addition, they must submit to the Ministry of Justice a report on the goals and actual spending of funds, including those received from foreign sources.
Unregistered public associations must provide the Ministry of Justice with a notice on receipt of funds from foreign sources and participation in political activities, as well as with a report on the funds received, purposes, and their actual use.
Administrative liability:
mentioning an NGO-"foreign agent» and an unregistered public association-foreign agent on the Internet or in the media — a fine of up to 50 thousand rubles. (Article 13.15 of the Code of Administrative Offences).
failure to submit or untimely submission of reports — a fine of up to 300 thousand rubles for an NCO-foreign agent (Article 19.7.5-2 of the Code of Administrative Offences) and up to 30 thousand rubles for unregistered public associations (Article 19.7.5-3 of the Code of Administrative Offences).
if the association produces or distributes materials without specifying that such association is a foreign agent — a fine of up to 300 thousand rubles, for unregistered public associations (Article 19.7.5-3 of the Code of Administrative Offences) and up to 500 thousand rubles for an NGO-foreign agent (Article 19.34 of the Code of Administrative Offences).
if an employee, but not an association as a whole, distributes any materials and does not indicate that he/she is an employee of an NGO-foreign agent — a fine of five thousand rubles and for unregistered public associations (Article 19.7.5-3 of the Code of Administrative Offences), and for NGOs (Article 19.34 of the Code of Administrative Offences).
if the organization operates but does not enter itself in the register of foreign agents — a fine of up to 500 thousand rubles for non-profit organizations (Article 19.34 of the Code of Administrative Offences).
if the activities of the organization are suspended, but it continues to function — a fine for an unregistered public association for organizers up to two thousand rubles, and for participants — up to one thousand rubles, for an NGO-foreign agent — a fine of up to 50 thousand rubles for organizers and up to five thousand rubles for participants (Article 20.28 of the Code of Administrative Offences).
Criminal liability:
malicious evasion of reporting by registered NGOs and unregistered public associations recognized as foreign agents — a fine of up to 300 thousand rubles or imprisonment for up to two years (par.1 article 330.1 of the Criminal Code).