By Jan Lopatka
(WARINFO) – On Wednesday, the Slovak Parliament passed legislation that imposes stricter reporting and additional obligations on non-governmental organizations. These new provisions have been labeled as “Russian law” by these organizations, who view them as an attempt by the government to settle scores with their critics within the civil sector.
The legislation mandates that non-governmental organizations disclose information about their funding sources and provide extensive listings of officials, while also imposing penalties for bureaucratic mistakes.
Led by pro-Russian Prime Minister Robert Fico, the government has consistently accused nongovernmental organizations of backing the liberal opposition and serving foreign interests. They have particularly targeted those receiving funds from a foundation established by American benefactor George Soros.
Within the highly divided Slovak community, Fico accused civil groups of intending to intensify nonviolent demonstrations against his administration’s policies, an allegation they refuted.
“The operations of non-governmental organizations fall into a murky area; they engage in political activities, attract funding globally, yet their expenditures remain unclear,” stated Richard Glück from the governing party SMER-SSD at a press briefing on Monday.
Fico’s party initially intended to implement more extensive reforms, which included designating non-government organizations as “entities receiving foreign backing,” similar to classifications used in countries such as Russia or Georgia. This move prompted a cautionary statement from the European Commission.
Other modifications, such as designating nonprofit organization representatives as lobbyists and permitting the Ministry of Interior to disband these groups over bureaucratic mistakes, were halted on Wednesday by lawmakers allied with Fico.
Non-governmental organizations have stated that the law aimed at intimidation, might violate constitutional rights, and contradicts decisions made by Europe’s Court of Justice.
“We call it a Russian law not because it is a copy of the Russian one but it was inspired by Russia and in variety with the constitution and EU law,” said Katarina Batkova, director of Via Iuris, an organisation dealing with human rights.
“The suggested steps clearly intend to stigmatize and restrict the operations of civilian groups,” she stated to WARINFO via phone.
Robert Dobrovodsky, the nation’s ombudsman, along with Michael O’Flaherty from the Council of Europe’s human rights division, have penned letters to lawmakers urging them to reassess this particular legislation.
(Reporting by Jan Lopatka in Prague, editing by Ed Osmond)
