Levada center called foreign agent and is under threat of closure – BBC

On Monday evening at the Russian Ministry of Justice website, it was reported that one of the most famous Russian sociological services Levada Center included in the register of foreign agents. This treatment results in the senator’s office, the candidate of the party “United Russia” (EP) in the Duma elections, the co-chairman of the movement “Antimaydan” Dmitry Sablin. His appeal it issued in July, citing the fact that the leaders of the “Levada” in their speeches confessed to receiving money from abroad to carry out their commercial projects.

The conversation with “Gazetoy.Ru” the center’s director Lev Gudkov said that such a decision is likely to lead to the liquidation of the organization, if it can not be challenged in court.

«with a branded case studies to carry out impossible. How you represent it? Our interviewers will come and ask: “Hello, we are a foreign agent, if you could answer a few questions?” All of this means the destruction of our center, if we do not challenge this decision, “- Gudkov said

He argues that the management of the center has received an act of this inspection a few days ago. According to the current legislation of Russia, the organization awarded the status of a foreign agent, if that is the political activity and receiving foreign funding

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according to Gudkov, according to the certificate verification, the Ministry of Justice considered political activity sociological surveys and their results available to the public, as well as presentations on the organization of seminars. With regard to foreign funding, they have been recognized by the money received from marketing research.

«Of course, we carry out such studies, including for foreign companies, it is one of the components our budget “, – explained Lev Gudkov. He added that the “Levada” is prepared in the near future to challenge the actions of the Ministry of Justice in the court.

The deputy director of the organization Alexei Grazhdankin told “Interfax” that the sociological organization hopes to get rid of inoagenta status in the near future due to reduction of contracts with foreign organizations. “We are focused primarily on the domestic client, reducing the number of contracts with foreign clients and hope that this status will be removed from us,” – he said,

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Co-Chairman of the movement “Voice” Grigory Melkonyants, whose organization in the recent past, too, was a victim of the law on inoagentah suggests that “Levada” went for their pre-election polls, where they recorded decrease in the rating of “United Russia”. “The discontent accumulated. They published the results of research that someone did not like “, – said the source” Gazety.Ru »

The expert recalled that in 2014 the legislation was amended, according to which foreign agents is prohibited to participate in the election. campaigns in any form. It can also mean a ban on pre-election polls.

«The law is quite vague wording. Maybe someone wants to use this rule as an instrument of pressure on the “Levada”. Immediately may not be used, and recall how the threat “, – said Melkonyants

Lev Gudkov, in a conversation with” Gazetoy.Ru “said the Ministry of Justice decision shows that the country has” a political order. “against the independent sociology. He stressed that he felt a negative attitude towards their organization somewhere in the end of the primaries EP

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Earlier, the sides are close to the Kremlin “Gazety.Ru” we have repeatedly drawn attention to the fact that, in their opinion, not all the polls, “Levada” credible. In particular, they pointed out that in some cases have changed the typical questions that distort the data dynamics.

The head of the Duma committee for public associations, a representative of the Liberal Democratic Party Yaroslav Nilov stressed that was not the author of the bill on inoagentah but , commenting on the incident with the “Levada”, he said that such organizations may continue to carry out their activities.

«You just have to register in the registry”, – said the deputy.

According to him, no one makes interviewers “Levada” submitted inoagentami. Nilov also wonders why the “Levada” had problems with foreign-funded right now, in the midst of the Duma campaign, and why sociologists are not addressed to the legislator with their suggestions and complaints during the examination on the subject of bills.

Lev Gudkov, in turn, noted that the audit of Ministry of Justice “criminal” were suddenly contracts commercial projects even from 2014. “They had already checked, but then on the foreign financing of the question”, – says Director

«Levada»

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Earlier, after complaints of the presidential human Rights Council, explaining the concept of “political activities” was engaged in a special working group under the leadership of the first deputy head of presidential administration Vyacheslav Volodin.

«Gazety.Ru” The source said that, considering the clarification of “political activity”, the working group sought to eliminate errors in law enforcement with respect to social NGOs, as well as to exclude from the scope of the law enforcement charities.

«And these problems have been solved. As for sociology, the initial position of the legislator was that sociological research as tools of analysis and formation of public opinion in the presence of foreign funding are subject to the rules and criteria of the legislation on the possibility of recognizing a foreign agent “, – says the source of the working group

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Secretary of the Public Chamber of Russia, Alexander Brechalov also involved in the work of the group, I am not surprised by the decision of the Ministry of Justice. According to him, the organization really falls under the definition inoagenta. According to him, the recognition inoagentom does not necessarily mean the termination of activities. “This is not the status of a leper. Many continue to work, and then another, and out of the registry, “- he reassured

public figures appealed to the fact that the organization of the” Levada “would be faced with similar constraints and. elsewhere. He sees nothing wrong in that case, if the organization sociologists can not conduct election research.

«I think this is correct. The election process in any country with any socio-political system – the most guarded process. As for the “Levada”, they have a wide range of surveys. Accidents will happen, if they will not be able to carry out pre-election study “, – says Brechalov

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