Meeting of the Commission on the Investigation of Foreign Interference in Russia's Internal Affairs was held at the State Duma on July 15 on the topic ”On interference in elections in the Russian Federation through foreign non-governmental organizations recognized as undesirable.“
The Chairman of the Commission Vasilii Piskarev
Vasily Ivanovich
said that the Commission had revealed that there
was no restricted access to the materials of webinars held by the National
Democratic Institute for International Relations (NDI), recognized in Russia as undesirable, on the election campaigns.
“NDI is funded by the US Agency for International Development,” stressed the parliamentarian.
He showed materials with the participation of the US political consultant David Hunter, who took part in the election campaign of Barack Obama. “That is the NGO which had held seminars in Finland for residents of St. Petersburg who planned to participate in municipal
elections,” said Vasilii Piskarev. “That is a clear example of the training of foreign
agents of influence,” he added.
The Chairman of the Commission noted the fact that NDI had launched a website and created a YouTube channel for Russian citizens and downloaded webinars on elections. Those materials contain information how to conduct election campaigns, promoting their agents of influence, as well as organizing illegal protest actions and disrupting elections.
“The webinars participants also discussed the actions of the Maidan fighters on the territory of Russia. That just once again proves destructive purposes of the organizers and participants of such trainings,” said Vasilii Piskarev and showed the relevant materials.
In this regard, the Commission decided to send materials on NDI’s activities to the Prosecutor General's Office and Roskomnadzor (the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media) and ask to take all the necessary measures, as said the Chairman of the Commission.
