27.06 NGO Snap Checks Bill Goes to Russian Parliament
MOSCOW, June 27 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian government has submitted to parliament its bill providing additional grounds for unscheduled checks of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the lower house of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, said on Wednesday.
Under the bill, grounds for surprise inspections of NGOs would include the failure to rectify infringements by a deadline previously set by an authorized agency, complaints by individuals and legal entities, and information provided by government agencies, local authorities and the media about alleged elements of extremism in the operation of NGOs, as well as information about violations of legislation by NGOs from federal and local authorities.
Unscheduled inspections can also be ordered by the heads of authorized agencies and requested by prosecutors and election commissions.
The Russian Public Chamber will convene to discuss the bill on July 1, its press service said.
We have invited and hope to hear opinions of Justice Ministry officials, lawmakers and representatives of the non-commercial sector, Public Chamber member Darya Miloslavskaya said.
Frankly, I can say that its not the best time to adopt such amendments. NGOs are yet to recover from large-scale prosecutor inspections, and extending the basis for unscheduled checks will definitely not play a positive role for the civil society development, she said.
