The State Duma approved the bill on natural persons-foreign agents in the first reading

The bill was previously developed by members of the Federation Council Commission for the Protection of Sovereignty and the State Duma Commission to investigate the facts of interference in Russian affairs from outside.

If the bill is further approved, then natural persons who are engaged in political activity, collect information about the military-technical sphere, receive money from abroad will be recognized as foreign agents, Kommersant writes.

In addition, the status of a foreign agent can be obtained by an organization that works without the formation of a legal entity and state registration. At this stage, only those persons who reprint information from the media recognized as foreign agents in the Russian Federation can be recognized as foreign agents. They must also receive financial assistance from abroad.

Earlier, the deputies explained that these persons will not be able to hold positions in the civil service. They will also not be admitted to the state secret. Every six months, a person registered on the territory of Russia as a foreign agent and receiving funds from abroad will have to report to the Ministry of Justice on what he is doing, as well as report on what he spent the money that came from abroad. The bill was submitted to the State Duma for consideration on November 19.