Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International accuse "Rosregistratsia" of red-tape ("volokita")

Since today, Moscow branch of Human Rights Watch (HRW) has suspended its operations, since not yet being reregistered under the new Law on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Yesterday was the last day of the six-month period after enactment of the Law on NGOs provided for foreign-based NGOs to get reregistered in Russia.

"The HRW's Moscow branch is in reregistration process. We haven't finished it because of endless cavils to the document format, sort of "missing seals," etc.: mass of such claims, absolutely formal. Some paper was lost at the "Rosregistratsia" (Russian Registration Agency), despite our having done everything according to the list, and we had to restore it. Because of all that, we still can't submit the package for reregistration. It's also related to endless correspondence with New York," Alexander Petrov, deputy director of the Human Rights Watch representative office in Moscow, explained the situation in his interview to the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot" on October 17, still before the organization's activity suspension.

"We managed to submit the documents for reregistration on October 16, and we think that made them according to the Law, but it's unlikely that "Rosregistratsia" bureaucrats will accept them from the first," Sergey Nikitin, director of the Moscow branch of Amnesty International, also suspended as of today, told the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot."

"It looks like some passport check in Moscow metro. And this is the situation for all foreign-based organizations in Russia," Sergey Nikitin, head of the Russian branch of Amnesty International, said, the NEWSru.com reports.

Radio Liberty reminds that this April the authorities toughened the NGO regulations, stating that some of them - through violating the legislation - are under the influence of foreign governments. NGOs think that the Kremlin strives to liquidate unwanted organizations.