MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th October, 2020) The Nicaraguan National Assembly has passed the law that requires nationals receiving funding from overseas organizations to register as foreign agents with the Interior Ministry.
"The National Assembly today passed the law on the regulation of foreign agents' activity, which creates a legal framework for individuals and legal entities representing foreign governments, institutions or organizations," the parliament said on Twitter.
The legislation was approved on a 70-17 vote.
Opposition lawmakers have raised concerns that the legislation will undermine civil liberties and become a tool of repression. Juan Sebastian Chamorro of the Civic Alliance of Nicaragua, in particular, expressed strong opposition to the legislation calling it "Putin's law."
"The National Assembly passed the foreign agent law known as 'Putin's law', which is unconstitutional because it violates public freedoms," Chamorro said in a video clip.
The law targets such groups of employees as advisers, public relations officers, advertising agents, employers of information services and political consultants. International media, humanitarian organizations, religious organization and journalists are exempt.
In 2012, the Russian parliament passed the law obliging foreign-funded political non-profit organizations to register as foreign agents. In 2013, the Ministry of Justice was granted the right to recognize NGO's as foreign agents base on its own assessment. In November, 2017 Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on assigning the "foreign agent" status for media outlets funded by foreign states or organizations. The law was drafted in response to the pressure put on Russian media in the United States.
