A human rights activist in Russia is facing criminal charges for allegedly failing to comply with a controversial "foreign agents" law that critics say is part of a Kremlin crackdown on civil society. According to Human Rights Watch, Valentina Cherevatenko was notified by authorities in Rostov-on-Don on June 27 that she was being charged with "malicious evasion" of requirements spelled out in the 2012 law.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: Russian activist faces ‘foreign agent’ charges
A file picture taken on March 21, 2013 shows a man carrying a stepladder as he walks past one of the entrances to the Memorial rights group office in Moscow. The graffiti on the facade reads: \"A Foreign Agent\". In 2012, Russia's parliament adopted a law that required nongovernmental organizations to register as \"foreign agents\" with the Ministry of Justice if they engage in \u201cpolitical activity\u201d and receive foreign funding.
