Russia: 277 people sign up a petition against the law on counteracting financing terrorism

A campaign is on in the Internet of collecting signatures to the petition in protest against the "List of Terrorists and Extremists" released by the "Rosfinmonitoring" (Russian Federal Service for Financial Monitoring), that is, a list of citizens, deprived of the right to use the Russia's banking system. The petition, addressed to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Russian Ombudsman, has gathered 277 signatures.

The collection of signatures against the Law No. 115 "On Counteraction to Legalization (Laundering) of Criminal Proceeds and Financing Terrorism" is organized on the resource "change.org". Apart from terrorists, the list also includes the followers of Said Nursi, Jehovah's Witnesses, bloggers and human rights defenders.

"Under the guise of performing by Russia of international anti-terrorist treaties and standards adopted under the auspices of the UN, our country is unleashing unprecedented political repressions," says Larisa Romanova, the author of the petition, who has served her prison term under the article "Terrorism"; then, she won a lawsuit at the European Court of Human Rights, but still on the above "Rosfinmonitoring" List.

At this point, the List includes 2754 Russian individuals and 52 organizations; besides its separate section lists foreign citizens and legal entities; and, according to Larisa Romanova, there is also a closed part of the List hidden from broad public.

Let us remind you that that in early November, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law, according to which the training of militants in camps, creation of terrorist organizations and communities is regarded to be a criminal offense; while the damage caused by terrorists shall be reimbursed by their relatives.