As of 2022, non-profit organizations made up the largest share of foreign agents in Russia. In total, 227 NPOs were found to be receiving funds from abroad while engaged in political activity domestically. Individual persons identifying themselves as media ranked second with 141 foreign agents.
Number of foreign agents in Russia as of October 2022, by legal status
The source defines a foreign agent as any individual, legal entity, or unregistered public association engaged in organizing rallies, participating in pickets, monitoring elections, or spreading opinions about the Russian government on social media while receiving funding from abroad.
The foreign agent law was first established in July 2012 and concerned non-profit organizations (NPOs) that engaged in political activities. From 2015, the status "undesirable organizations" was assigned to international organizations that, to the estimate of the Russian government, posed a threat to the constitutional order of the country. The 2017 and 2019 amendments extended the concept of "foreign agent" to media, both individual persons and legal entities. Since December 30, 2022, any natural persons or public associations without juridical status carrying out political activities or purposeful collection of information in the field of military activities can be recognized as a foreign agent.
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OVD-Info, & Mass Media Defence Centre. (October 17, 2022). Number of foreign agents in Russia as of October 2022, by legal status [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved August 24, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1323331/foreign-agents-by-legal-status-russia/
OVD-Info, und Mass Media Defence Centre. "Number of foreign agents in Russia as of October 2022, by legal status." Chart. October 17, 2022. Statista. Accessed August 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1323331/foreign-agents-by-legal-status-russia/
OVD-Info, Mass Media Defence Centre. (2022). Number of foreign agents in Russia as of October 2022, by legal status. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: August 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1323331/foreign-agents-by-legal-status-russia/
OVD-Info, and Mass Media Defence Centre. "Number of Foreign Agents in Russia as of October 2022, by Legal Status." Statista, Statista Inc., 17 Oct 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1323331/foreign-agents-by-legal-status-russia/
OVD-Info & Mass Media Defence Centre, Number of foreign agents in Russia as of October 2022, by legal status Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1323331/foreign-agents-by-legal-status-russia/ (last visited August 24, 2024)
Number of foreign agents in Russia as of October 2022, by legal status [Graph], OVD-Info, & Mass Media Defence Centre, October 17, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1323331/foreign-agents-by-legal-status-russia/