Russia Gets Stricter With Protesters and Opposition Groups

Russia's Federation Council is set to approve a bill July 18 targeting nongovernmental organizations operating in Russia. The bill is meant to pressure the opposition and anti-Kremlin movements in Russia and to hamper attempts by forces outside Russia to support them. The bill is one of numerous laws Moscow is using against opposition and protest groups as the Kremlin prepares for regional election season.

These new measures indicate that the Kremlin is nervous about conditions inside Russia in the run-up to the regional elections next quarter; the Kremlin has not set such strong restrictions since the mid-2000s. The Kremlin knows that the upcoming elections are crucial to its continued centralized control over the country and it wants to hobble the opposition as much as possible.