Regarding Law "On Foreign Agents" as constitutional may negatively affect NGOs, rights defenders believe

The Russia's Constitutional Court (CC) has recognized constitutional the requirement that NGOs receiving financial assistance from abroad should get registered as "foreign agents". The decision of the CC will allow the courts to consider the "roundtables", interviews, and press releases as political activities. This was emphasized by Furkat Tishaev, a lawyer of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial". The decision of the CC will negatively affect the NGOs. This opinion was expressed by Oleg Orlov, a member of the Board of the HRC "Memorial". Activists were not surprised by the decision of the CC. This was stated by Svetlana Gannushkina, Chairman of the Committee "Civil Assistance".

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that after the law had been adopted, the Foundation of the "Kostroma Centre of Public Initiatives" was fined for violation of the law provisions, and leaders of several NGOs received prosecutorial warnings.

The consideration of the case was caused by complaints filed by the Russian Ombudsman, citizens S. M. Smirensky, V. P. Yukechev, L. G. Kuzmina, and the Foundation "Kostroma Centre of Public Initiatives". According to the complainants, the contested law provisions fail to comply with the requirements of legal certainty, discriminate NGO members, violate the presumption of innocence, and impinge upon personal dignity. Furthermore, the complainants believe that the law provisions limit the freedom of speech, rights of citizens to organize associations and participate in administration of the state.

"The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) repeatedly states that any organization has the right to receive foreign financing, and when it is limited in receiving foreign financing, thus it is being discriminated," the lawyer Furkat Tishaev has stated.