Russian undesirable organizations law

The Russian undesirable organizations law (officially Federal Law of 23 May 2015 N 129-FZ "On amendments of some legislative acts of the Russian Federation") is a law that was signed by President Vladimir Putin on 23 May 2015 as a follow-up to the 2012 Russian foreign agent law and Dima Yakovlev Law. Under the law, Russian prosecutors are able to target foreign groups which they deem to present "a threat to the foundation of the constitutional order of the Russian Federation, the defense capability of the country or the security of the state."

The law gives prosecutors the power to declare foreign and international organizations "undesirable" in Russia and shut them down. Organizations are subject to heavy fines, while individuals affiliated with them can receive lengthy prison sentences if they fail to dissolve when given notice to do so. These punishments also apply to Russians who maintain ties to them. Supporters of the law claim that this law is vital for the preservation of national security, but critics say that the law is unclear in many areas and can be used to silence dissent. Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian government has escalated the use of both the foreign agent and undesirable organizations laws to block the activities of the media, human rights and civil society organisations, most of whom are based in the western world.