Vasily Piskarev: foreign NGOs tried to arrange activities in Russia in support of decriminalization of drug use

Chairman of the State Duma Commission on Investigation into Facts of Foreign Interference in Russia’s Internal Affairs said that there was information published by the foreign agents and foreign NGOs aimed at discrediting Russia’s drug control policy
Chairman of the Committee on Security and Corruption Control Vasily Piskarev
Chairman of the Committee on Security and Corruption Control Vasily Piskarev

“European NGOs funded by the organizations recognized as undesirable are trying to arrange illegal actions in Russia and the CSTO member states in support of decriminalization of drug use on June 26, Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. At the same time, during those actions, the organizers plan to speak in support of Ukraine in the fight against Russia,” said the Chairman of the Commission Vasily Piskarev Piskarev Vasily Ivanovich Piskarev
Vasily Ivanovich
on Friday.

“The Commission, in particular, had revealed attempts by the Lithuanian NGO Eurasian Harm Reduction Association, funded by the undesirable organizations, to arrange actions in Russia in support of the decriminalization of drug use,” the parliamentarian said.

The so-called shadow reports on the drug situation were sent to international organizations and their units, for example, to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. “Analysis of these materials shows that foreign agents distort the real drug situation in our country: they use the individual cases and make incorrect conclusions and assessments, and criticize Russian anti-drug legislation in a biased form,” said Vasily Piskarev. He again gave an example of the Lithuanian NGO Eurasian Harm Reduction Association.

“Together with Russian NGO-foreign agents, this NGO arranges provocative actions in order to discredit the reports of Russian delegations on drug issues at international platforms, presenting tendentious counterarguments,” the parliamentarian said. According to the information received by the State Duma Commission, the organization is funded by European NGOs controlled by Soros (the Robert Carr Fund and Elton John Foundation, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, as well as the unwanted organization Open Society Foundations), he specified.

“The information presented today once again confirm the correctness and timeliness of the appeal sent earlier by the State Duma Commission to the Prosecutor General’s Office on the need to recognize a number of organizations as undesirable in Russia, as well as the draft law submitted by members of the State Duma Commission on control over the activities of persons under foreign influence, which will be considered by the State Duma next week,” emphasized Vasily Piskarev.