Putin signs law allowing ban on "undesirable" foreign organizations

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Saturday that allows authorities to ban foreign non-governmental organizations deemed "undesirable" for the state, which is fiercely criticized by human rights activists, reports the Patria News Agency.

The OSCE has asked Putin to veto the law, which according to several non-governmental organizations is a form of repression against government critics, less than three years after another controversial law on "foreign agents" was passed.

The text of the law, which passed through both parliamentary chambers and received presidential signature in just seven days, states that the "activities of a foreign or international non-governmental organization that pose a threat to the constitutional foundations of the Russian Federation, the defense capability or security of the government, can be declared undesirable," according to a statement from the Kremlin.

The law allows authorities to ban foreign non-governmental organizations in Russia and prosecute their employees, who face up to six years in prison or a ban from entering Russian territory.