DUTCH NGO REFUSED RE-REGISTRATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 012637 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/24/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF PHUM EAID KDEM RS SUBJECT: DUTCH NGO REFUSED RE-REGISTRATION Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Daniel A. Russell. Reasons 1.4 (b and d). ¶1. (SBU) The Federal Registration Service refused the NGO Stichting Russia Justice Initiative (RJI) last week, citing technical problems with its application. The technical reasons included questions about RJI Executive Director Ole Solvang's authority to represent RJI during the process and insufficient signatures from its board of directors on the application. RJI assists Chechens in preparing cases for the European Court of Human Rights and has won three judgments against the Russian Government this year. Solvang told us November 24 that he had been optimistic that RJI would be re-registered based on earlier conversations with registration service staff. RJI subsequently received a formal letter of refusal. (NOTE: In similar cases involving other NGOs, the registration service returned the applications for revision.) ¶2. (C) Solvang said that he was unsure whether the refusal was related to its work in the North Caucasus and its success in the European Court. While there was no direct evidence to suggest there was a political motivation, Solvang questioned the basis of the refusal. RJI would be looking at its options for resubmitting its application and in the interim, Solvang said he would seek a meeting with Registration Service Director Movchan and members of his staff involved in the decision to seek clarification on their rationale and the best way forward. RJI will also ask the Dutch, Swedish, and Norwegian embassies and the European Commission -- its donors -- to weigh in with GOR on its behalf. ¶3. (SBU) According to the registration service website, as of November 24, 170 foreign NGOs had been re-registered, and 24 others -- 13 of them American -- had applications under consideration. Of the 29 NGOs that USAID is tracking, as of November 24, 19 have been re-registered, and 10 remain unregistered. International Medical Corps, which is funded by PRM, was re-registered on November 22 and resumed its programs in the North Caucasus on November 23. International Rescue Committee (IRC),which is funded by PRM and USAID, has yet to be re-registered, but IRC Country Director Amir Omanovich said a senior registration service official had hinted that it would be re-registered soon. ¶4. (SBU) Separately, World Wildlife Fund Director Igor Chestin, who is also a member of the Public Chamber and an interagency working group established to comment on NGO reporting guidelines, told USAID staff November 22 that the group had received very few comments on the draft guidelines from NGOs and they could be finalized by the end of the month. Overall, Chestin noted that the guidelines added very little to already thin guidance in the original promulgation of the reporting forms in April. Chestin said one of the problems is that key terms remain poorly defined, and they lacked clarity. Chestin also noted that the registration service had complained that it was having difficulty managing the various registration processes under its authority and it needed 300 billion rubles (USD 11.3 million) to adequately deal with all its regulatory obligations. BURNS