Amnesty slams Russia "foreign agents" lawNovember 18, 2016 - 16:53 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Amnesty International says that more than a hundred Russian non-governmental organizations have seen their funding shrink and dozens have been forced to shut since a "foreign agents" law has come into force, The Associated Press reports. The group said in a report released Friday, November 18 that the 2012 law has hurt freedom of expression and individual rights in Russia. It said 148 organizations have been put on the list of "foreign agents," of which 27 have shut. Many of them provided services not provided by the state, such as legal representation or psychological support for victims of discrimination or violence. The law requires all NGOs that receive foreign funding and engage in vaguely defined political activities to register as foreign agents, a term that carries Cold War connotations of spying. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |