Bellona must re-organize in Russia

The Environmental Right Centre Bellona (ERC Bellona) in St. Petersburg has been declared a “foreign agent” and must liquidate and re-organize.

Managing Director of Bellona in Norway, Nils Bøhmer, says to High North News that the “foreign agent” declaration came following a new inspection from the Russian Ministry of Justice before Christmas.

Opposite conclusion

- ERC Bellona is our organization in St. Petersburg, a Russian company, and it was subject to an inspection one and a half year ago. Back then, they concluded otherwise, Bøhmer says.

He admits that there was some wondering at the time, due to the Murmansk office being declared a “foreign agent” while the St. Petersburg office was not.

Cooperating with a different department

It appears a bit peculiar that Bellona cooperated with Russian authorities about a seminar in Murmansk only a short while after its Murmansk office was shut down.

- But we were working with a different department, says Bøhmer.

He emphasizes that Bellona intends to continue its work in Russia, however, it will have to find new ways of organizing this.

Alternative options

- There are options, and all employees of ERC Bellona will keep working for us. In the liquidation period that we are now facing, we will find alternative ways of setting up the organization.

All our employees (3 in Murmansk and 10+ in St. Petersburg) will continue their jobs and in an orderly fashion. They will pay taxes and have secure and solid pension rights. Everything shall be according to Russian rules. Though we never know how long it will take before new rules surface.

Most regrettable

Nils Bøhmer regrets utmost that it seems to be getting harder and harder to run democratic, independent organizations in Russia, and that the development seems to follow a downward spiral.

Since 2012, a Russian law has been in force, stating that organizations that are funded wholly or partially from abroad and operating within what the Russians refer to as “political activities” shall be defined as foreign agents. It has affected numerous civic organizations.

Continuing work

The leader of the St. Petersburg office, Aleksander NIkitin, points out that the organisation’s work will not be affected by the new decision from the Russian authorities.