Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed legislation that would allow nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) registered as “foreign agents” to remove the label if they cease political activities and stop receiving financing from abroad.
Putin submitted the draft bill for discussion in the Russian parliament’s lower chamber on February 4.
Under the bill, NGOs included in the Kremlin’s list of "foreign agents" would be required to ask authorities to remove them from the list.
Russia enacted a controversial law in 2013 requiring NGOs that receive foreign funding and engage in "political activities in Russia" to register as "foreign agents."
Rights activists say the law is part of a broader crackdown against civil society in Russia.