The Golos Foundation is an organization that arose on the site of the liquidated Movement for the Protection of the Rights of Voters 'Golos'. It was assumed that the new organization would protect the rights of voters as a public movement, whose activities would be financed with the help of voluntary donations from citizens and other Russian organizations (this was the reason for choosing the format of the fund). Golos planned to organize the activities of independent election observers, record violations during the elections, inform citizens about their rights and engage in other activities in the field of electoral law.
Name
'Golos' Foundation for Democracy
Field of activity
Protection of electoral rights
Status
«Foreign agent» (NGO)
Reason for recognition
Golos was listed as a 'foreign agent' because of the revealed funding from abroad.
Year of recognition
2015
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).