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| Russian Group Fears Fine After Talk With Americans | |
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| MOSCOW — Russian prosecutors have opened a legal case against a nongovernmental organization in a city outside Moscow for failing to register as a “foreign agent,” after the group participated in a round table with representatives of the United States Embassy. | MOSCOW — Russian prosecutors have opened a legal case against a nongovernmental organization in a city outside Moscow for failing to register as a “foreign agent,” after the group participated in a round table with representatives of the United States Embassy. |
| The organization, the Kostroma Center for the Defense of Public Initiatives, with headquarters in the city of Kostroma, about 200 miles northeast of Moscow, announced Tuesday that a city prosecutor had threatened a fine of close to $16,000, saying the organization engaged in “political activities.” | The organization, the Kostroma Center for the Defense of Public Initiatives, with headquarters in the city of Kostroma, about 200 miles northeast of Moscow, announced Tuesday that a city prosecutor had threatened a fine of close to $16,000, saying the organization engaged in “political activities.” |
| As evidence, the prosecutor cited participation in vote-monitoring and a February round table: “Resetting the Reset: Where Are Russian-American Relations Heading?” which included the United States Embassy’s deputy political counselor, Howard Solomon. | As evidence, the prosecutor cited participation in vote-monitoring and a February round table: “Resetting the Reset: Where Are Russian-American Relations Heading?” which included the United States Embassy’s deputy political counselor, Howard Solomon. |
| Nikolai V. Sorokin, the head of the Kostroma Center, said in a telephone interview that the organization had been punished for cooperating with the embassy. | Nikolai V. Sorokin, the head of the Kostroma Center, said in a telephone interview that the organization had been punished for cooperating with the embassy. |
| Mr. Sorokin said that his organization is not political and that recent conferences have focused on local ecology and Russian history. | Mr. Sorokin said that his organization is not political and that recent conferences have focused on local ecology and Russian history. |
| “We have been holding our events since 2005, and we have never received the smallest complaint,” he said. “But after an employee from the embassy, Howard Solomon, came to us and we held a round table about problems in relations between the United States and Russia, that’s when the prosecutors came.” | “We have been holding our events since 2005, and we have never received the smallest complaint,” he said. “But after an employee from the embassy, Howard Solomon, came to us and we held a round table about problems in relations between the United States and Russia, that’s when the prosecutors came.” |
| A representative for the embassy, in Moscow, told the Interfax news agency that Mr. Solomon’s visit was “normal public diplomacy,” and added that the embassy was following the case with “great concern.” | A representative for the embassy, in Moscow, told the Interfax news agency that Mr. Solomon’s visit was “normal public diplomacy,” and added that the embassy was following the case with “great concern.” |
| Under recently enacted legislation, an organization is required to register as a “foreign agent” if it receives money from foreign sources and engages in political activity, a loosely defined term that remains untested in Russia’s courts. | Under recently enacted legislation, an organization is required to register as a “foreign agent” if it receives money from foreign sources and engages in political activity, a loosely defined term that remains untested in Russia’s courts. |
| Prominent Russian organizations, including the Moscow Helsinki Group, a human rights organization, have refused to register with the government, saying the label is pejorative. | Prominent Russian organizations, including the Moscow Helsinki Group, a human rights organization, have refused to register with the government, saying the label is pejorative. |
| Last week, prosecutors opened the first case under the law against the vote-monitoring organization Golos, which declared widespread voter fraud in Russia’s parliamentary elections in 2011. | Last week, prosecutors opened the first case under the law against the vote-monitoring organization Golos, which declared widespread voter fraud in Russia’s parliamentary elections in 2011. |
| Pavel Chikov, the chairman of a legal organization monitoring the cases, said that prosecutors would employ a broad definition of political activity in order to prosecute unregistered private organizations. | Pavel Chikov, the chairman of a legal organization monitoring the cases, said that prosecutors would employ a broad definition of political activity in order to prosecute unregistered private organizations. |
| “It could be the participation of a leader in a protest, or participating in a round table, the prosecutors won’t care,” Mr. Chikov said. “I’m certain this means there will be new cases very soon.” | “It could be the participation of a leader in a protest, or participating in a round table, the prosecutors won’t care,” Mr. Chikov said. “I’m certain this means there will be new cases very soon.” |