Russia's Putin signs NGO 'foreign agents' law
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved a law which will tighten controls on civil right groups funded from abroad, the his press office said on Saturday, a move opponents say is part of a campaign to suppress dissent.
The law will force non-governmental organisations (NGOs) engaging in "political activity" to register with the Justice Ministry as "foreign agents" and to file a report to officials every quarter. Opposition groups say Putin is trying to silence groups whose criticism of his human rights record has undercut his credibility and helped fuel seven months of protests against his rule, the biggest since he came to power in 2000. (Reuters)
