Deputy Besedina became a “foreign agent” because of news about her in the mass media

The Ministry of Justice of Russia declared Moscow City Duma deputy Daria Besedina a foreign agent due to news about her work in the mass media and one repost. Besedina herself told about this, I received the department’s explanations.

According to Besedina, the Ministry of Justice considered her a foreign agent for three reasons. Media, which the Ministry of Justice also recognized as foreign agents, wrote about Besedina’s parliamentary activities: including Radio Liberty, Meduza and Dozhd. According to the Ministry of Justice, when talking about Besedina’s work, they provided her with “foreign support in the form of providing an information platform.”

In addition, the Ministry of Justice noted that Besedina receives a salary from the “City Projects” fund. At the same time, the director of the fund Maksym Kats is entered in the register of “foreign agents”, but the fund itself is not.

In 2021, Besedina also reposted the news of “Mediazone”, which is also recognized as a “foreign agent”. This, the Ministry of Justice believes, serves as proof that Besedina is “under foreign influence.”

Besedina will continue to challenge its status in court.

• The Russian authorities can declare anyone who is under “foreign influence” a foreign agent, the definition of which is very vague in the law. Now there are about 480 “foreign agents” in the register: individuals, mass media, NGOs and companies.
• The status of foreign agent obliges, among other things, to report quarterly on the movement of funds on personal accounts and to mark all public messages. Errors in the report or lack of marking are punishable up to imprisonment.
• From the end of 2022, “foreign agents” are prohibited from teaching in state institutions, organizing public events, serving in the army under contract, and being members of election commissions.