MOSCOW. April 17 (Interfax) - The State Duma commission investigating foreign interference in Russia's internal affairs has drafted amendments criminalizing the work of foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Russia if they are not registered in the country, commission head Vasily Piskaryov said on Monday.
"We will discuss our draft amendments at a commission meeting on April 18," the commission quoted Piskaryov as saying on Telegram.
"The commission has analyzed the subversive activity of foreign non-governmental organizations [directed] against Russia" and has found that, "for instance, only one out of 23 foreign NGOs whose operations were designated as undesirable in Russia last year was operating via its branch in Russia, as prescribed by law," he said.
"Evading registration in Russia is an obvious proof of the foreign organization's intent to secretly conduct illegal activity in our country," Piskaryov said.
At the same time, "the commission has found that there are no legal mechanisms to stop the destructive activities of foreign NGOs before they are declared undesirable in Russia at this point," which is why the respective amendments have been proposed.