Russian parliament to work on bill to limit royalties to 'foreign agents'

Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, is to start work on a bill to limit royalty payments to “foreign agents” to bank accounts held in rubles only, Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin announced on Thursday.

The proposal would apply a special payment procedure to funds “foreign agents” receive from science, literature and art, performances and recordings, radio or television, and inventions and trademarks, Volodin said.

“Any income from creative activity will be credited to a special ruble account which the foreign agent will have to open. Receiving funds in another way will be prohibited,” Volodin said.

Volodin said consideration of the bill could begin “as early as next week”. He said that the State Duma would also discuss applying similar measures to those “not classified as foreign agents, but who have left Russia and express a negative attitude towards the country”.

“Those who harm Russia by insulting its people and soldiers fighting in the special military operation should not enrich themselves at the country’s expense,” Volodin wrote, referring to goods and property they may own in Russia.

The bill would mark a further tightening of legislation in the area. Vladimir Putin signed a law in May prohibiting “foreign agents” from participating in elections at all levels, or from acting as observers or candidates’ agents, whereas Russian companies were banned from advertising on media channels belonging to “foreign agents” in March.