Information-analytical center “Sova” will challenge the status of noagent – RIA Novosti

21:3730.12.2016

(updated: 21:39 30.12.2016)

31209

MOSCOW, 30 Jul — RIA Novosti. Informatsionno-analiticheskiy Tsentr “Sova”, which is studying the problems of nationalism and xenophobia, is not going to refuse foreign funding and challenged the decision of justice of the Russian Federation on introducing the organisation into the register of NGOs-registered as foreign agents after the New year, as it does not consider their activities political, told RIA Novosti Director of the center Alexander Verkhovsky on Friday.

“I think after the New year we will appeal in court. In fact, we wrote them objections, because this decision is based on the inspection report, we wrote objections to the inspection report, while we were writing the objections they have made our list, apparently, parallel to this occurred,” — said Verkhovsky RIA Novosti.

According to him, the Ministry of justice has made the organization in the registry of NGOs-registered as a foreign agent in connection with the availability of foreign financing and in connection with the activities of the organization, which the office “summed up in the words — evaluation of the activities of state bodies”. “It turns out any assessment of public authorities is a political activity,” — said Verkhovsky.

Director of the center said that organizations do have foreign sources, of which the centre is not going to give up. “Yes, of course (there are foreign sources — ed). No, not going (to give them — ed.). We will assume that the activity is not political, and funding — the financing,” — said Verkhovsky.

however, he noted that the centre has no plans to abandon foreign financing due to the fact that the Russian Finance “not very much”. “If we lived on Russian financing, we will be long dead, so we, in fact, the choice does not”, — concluded Verkhovsky.

According to the website of the organization, field of interest of the Information-analytical center “SOVA” the problems of nationalism and xenophobia, the relationship of religion and society, political radicalism, (in)the inculcation of liberal values and (in)human rights in Russia.

the Information-analytical center “SOVA” was established in October 2002 by a group of employees as a resource and research center “Panorama” and the Moscow Helsinki group, and we are grateful to these organizations for assistance in our formation.