The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) today condemned Russia over its 2012 law on foreign agents, ruling that it was “arbitrary” and creates a “climate of mistrust”, France Press reported, quoted by BTA.
The court was referred by 107 non-governmental organizations, media and members of Russian civil society.
For the ECtHR, “the current legislation is stigmatizing, misleading and applied too widely and unpredictably”. According to the court, “the purpose of the law is to punish and intimidate rather than to meet the alleged need for transparency or the legitimate requirements of national security”.
The European magistrates concluded that the principles of freedom of expression, freedom of association and the right to respect for private and family life were violated by the law against the applicants.
Although Russia was excluded from the ECtHR in March 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine, the court's decisions remain binding on events that occurred before that.
Among the complainants are the human rights organization "Memorial" Human Rights Center, Radio "Free Europe", journalists and other organizations that were forced to register as "foreign agents". The law led to inspections, fines and restrictions on their activities.
The court noted that the law has expanded over time to include social networks, websites and documents submitted to courts. This has placed a heavy financial and administrative burden on organizations, leading to the dissolution of some, including “Memorial”.
The ECtHR defined the imposed sanctions as “grossly disproportionate“ and stressed that these restrictions have a “chilling effect on public discourse and civic activism”, creating a climate of suspicion and distrust of independent voices in Russia.