Activists outraged by Astrakhan Regional Duma member’s initiative to recognize animal rights defenders as foreign agents

Political analysts and activists spoke out against an initiative to recognize animal rights defenders as foreign agents voiced by Yevgeny Dunaev, a member of the Astrakhan Regional Duma. The political analysts and activists called the above proposal a denunciation and a forerunner of possible repression against animal protection organizations.

Yevgeny Dunaev claims that all animal rights defenders are being funded from Europe and supported by foreign media.

Political analyst Mikhail Doliev, a member of the board of the “Free Russia” forum, called the Yevgeny Dunaev’s initiative “political snitching.” The political analyst notes that Yevgeny Dunaev “permanently worked for pro-government circles.”

“People curry favour in such a way. Now any person may be declared a foreign agent. I believe that the law on foreign agents in the Russian Federation is ridiculous. It may be compared to the article ‘On counter-revolutionary activities’ from the Stalin era. Then, as now, a person could be easily declared an enemy of the people for simple criticism of the authorities,” claimed political analyst Sergey Zhavoronkov.

“There is no foreign funding for Russian animal protection organizations ... In fact, Yevgeny Dunaev is spreading slandering reports against the entire social group,” stated Yuri Koretskikh, the director of the “Alliance of Animal Defenders”.

“The animal rights defenders are doing a lot of work in the country to solve the problem of homeless animals ... These are humane and selfless activities,” emphasized Svetlana Kuravlyova, a Volgograd animal rights defender and volunteer at a shelter for homeless animals.