Russia threatens to publish personal details of anyone ‘engaged in political activities’

Russia says it plans to publish the personal details of anyone who they believe is engaged in political activities that go against the Kremlin’s regime.

The authorities will start publicising the data of people and groups they have labelled “foreign agents” from December, a new report has revealed.

The country’s Justice Ministry says it has the details of nearly 200 “foreign agent” individuals and organisations that have “received foreign funding and engaged in political activities”, reports the Moscow Times.

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced that the personal data released onto the ministry’s website will include taxpayer identification and individual insurance account numbers, as well as names and birthdates.

Names added to the registry include independent journalists, activists, and civil society figures, as the country attempts to crack down on those who speak out against the Kremlin.

As of December 1, the foreign agent label will be expanded to include anyone deemed to have fallen under “foreign influence” of any kind — not just funding — under a law signed by President Vladimir Putin in July.

Those who are labelled as a foreign agents – a term that carries Soviet-era connotations – will be subject to “strict labeling and auditing requirements” and will be barred from state funding, teaching at state universities, or working with children under the new law.

The Justice Ministry will also keep a list of people and groups deemed to be “affiliated with foreign agents”, although it will be expected to disclose the legal grounds for adding people or groups to the database. 

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