Moscow continues to intensify the penalties for actions that do not align with the interests of the ruling elites—Russia's State Duma has passed a law expanding the grounds for granting Russians the status of "foreign agent."
The aim of this legislative initiative is to create additional tools for internal political pressure from the Kremlin.
The new provision allows individuals who assist in the execution of decisions made by international organizations, where the Russian Federation is not involved, such as the International Criminal Court, to be recognized as "foreign agents," as well as those who criticize the Russian Federation.
According to the new law, criminal responsibility is also stipulated, with imprisonment of up to seven years for aiding these international structures for selfish reasons or for hire.
In parallel, Russia has approved a new ban on the educational and enlightenment activities of "foreign agents," as well as the possibility of handling cases against them in court without physical presence if the violations were committed abroad.
Additionally, the law specifies that individuals who engage citizens in the collection of information in the military-technical field that could be used against Russia's security could also fall under the definition of a "foreign agent." The financing of such actions is also subject to being added to the relevant registry.
Furthermore, the confiscation of property belonging to "foreign agents" is now possible.
As of April 2025, the Ministry of Justice's registry of "foreign agents" includes 969 individuals. However, this list will soon be expanded—the new law allows the Russian authorities to bestow the "foreign agent" status on any disfavored Russian.
