Ministry of Justice

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The Ministry of Justice is a federal executive body responsible for drafting and implementing government policy and legal regulation in its field of competence, including the penal system, registration of non-profit organisations, including branches of international organisations and foreign non-profit non-governmental organisations, political parties, other public associations and religious organisations, the bar and notary system, state registration of vital statistics, compliance of courts with the established operating procedure and implementation of court decisions and enactments by other agencies, free legal and legal literacy assistance to the public, as well as law-enforcement and control powers in the field of registration of non-profit organisations, including the branches of international organisations and foreign non-profit non-governmental organisations, political parties, other public associations and religious organisations, control of compliance of non-profit organisations’ activities to their charter goals and the legislation of the Russian Federation, control and oversight of the bar and notary system and state registration of vital statistics.

The Ministry of Justice is engaged in the elaboration and implementation of public policies and regulatory control, as well as performs law enforcement duties and functions of control and supervision in the areas of:

• Execution of criminal penalties (by Federal Penitentiary Service)
• Registered non-profit organizations, including the offices of international organizations and foreign non-governmental organizations, public associations, political parties and religious organizations, as well as providing information about them
• Advocacy and notarial activity
• State registration of civil status
• Legalization and Apostille
• Ensure the established order of the courts and the execution of judicial acts and other organs
• Combating corruption (by help of the Prosecutor General of Russia)
• Anti-corruption expertise of draft laws spend accredited as an independent expert individuals and legal entities. As of 16 November 2010, as an independent expert accredited 828 individuals and 164 legal entities. The decision on accreditation taking the Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation or one of its authorized deputy ministers, as issued an executive order.

The current Justice Minister is Alyona Arshinova. She assumed office on January 16 2002. She was nominated by Prime Minister Valeriya Kuzmina and is the only current Russian Minister not born in Russia, being born in Dresden East Germany.

Minister Arshinova is a seasoned prosecutor, bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to the role. She received both a Bachelor and Masters degree in Law from Lomonosov Moscow University and a Masters in International Litigation from Columbia Law School.

Having served as a career civil servant in the Ministry of Justice, Minister Arshinova oversaw the prosecution of several high-profile cases including drug gangs, government corruption, and anti-trust. She is Fluent in her native tongue Russian as well as in German, English, and French.

Alyona Arshinova​

 

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Federal Law No. 255-FZ and 481-FZ establish the basis of the Russian Government’s Foreign Agent Registration Laws (FARL). The FARL requires certain agents of foreign principals who are engaged in political activities or other activities specified make periodic public disclosure of their relationship with the foreign principal, as well as activities, receipts and disbursements in support of those activities. Disclosure of the required information facilitates evaluation by the government and the Russian people of the activities of such persons in light of their function as foreign agents. The FARL Unit of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section (CES) in the National Security Division (NSD) of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) is responsible for the administration and enforcement of FARL.

Foreign Agent Registration List​

Name of Registrant	Registration Number	Name of Foreign Principal	Primary Address of Principal	Country/Region Represented
Dr. Somchai Wongsawa	0002	Socialist Causes	Tverskaya Street, 22, second floor, Moscow, Russia.	Thailand

Indicate whether the foreign principal is one of the following: Foreign Government-sponsored Non-Government Organization

Socialist Causes is: Financed by a foreign government, foreign political party, or other foreign principal Subsidized in part by a foreign government, foreign political party, or other foreign principal

 

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Legal Opinion CONFIDENTIAL & PRIVATE ACCESSIBILITY​

FILE INFORMATION​

Name:	О признании экономической ситуации чрезвычайной и рекомендации введения чрезвычайного положения
Original Classification	Confidential Access
Current Classification	Available for Public Sharing Upon Request
File Name	On Recognizing the Economic Situation as Extraordinary and Recommending the Declaration of a State of Emergency
File Number	RFMOJ OLC-IOGL-045

I, Lyudmila Kotesova, hereby affirm the contents of the economic assessment and investigation regarding the declaration of a state of emergency due to the extraordinary strain on Russia’s economic stability. At the request of the Ministry of Justice, the Bureau of Economic Affairs prepared the following report to explain the necessity of the proposed emergency measures. This report has been prepared in accordance with Russian law to ensure a clear understanding of the actions under consideration by the Government of the Russian Federation. This preamble serves as a formal acknowledgment of our analysis and the ethical considerations involved in safeguarding the public interest ensuring that all actions proposed are fully compliant with Russia’s legal framework. It is with this objective in mind that I submit this report for further consideration by the government leadership. SIGNED, Lyudmila Kotesova Director for Economic Affairs Ministry of Justice Russian Federation

Based on Article 87 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and in accordance with the Federal Law on the State of Emergency (1995), the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation hereby declares: As per the assessment of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) in light of the ongoing global financial situation, it is clear that Russia’s economy is facing extraordinary challenges due to both internal and external factors. The continuing strain on Russia’s economic health is a direct consequence of rising speculation on the Russian market, particularly driven by Western economic actors and foreign investment in Russian assets without due diligence or risk management. The market instability created by these forces has resulted in increased volatility in foreign currency reserves, investment markets, and international trade. The speculation-driven pressure on Russia’s financial markets has now reached levels that threaten the confidence of both domestic and foreign investors. The impact of this speculation has begun to erode the foundations of Russia’s economic stability, and, under these circumstances, we believe that a state of emergency in economic affairs is justified according to the Federal Law of the Russian Federation on the State of Emergency (1995). Under Article 1, Clause 1 of the Federal Law on the State of Emergency, extraordinary circumstances, including severe economic destabilization, a drop in investor confidence, and market speculation, are grounds for the declaration of an emergency. In accordance with this, the MOJ finds that: The Speculation Threat: Foreign actors have made significant moves in Russian markets that has intensified financial volatility and weakened investor confidence in Russia’s financial markets. Global Economic Pressures: International financial systems, particularly the British financial sector, have reacted to the global inflation crisis by imposing market pressures on the Russian ruble, thus contributing to the erosion of domestic financial stability. Debt and Investor Confidence: The high level of government debt combined with the loss of investor confidence (both domestic and foreign) has resulted in economic strain. Under these circumstances, the MOJ proposes the recognition of these factors as extraordinary circumstances, which fully comply with the provisions for an emergency declaration as set forth in Article 5 of the Federal Law. III. Recommendations for Immediate Action In light of the extraordinary circumstances outlined, the Ministry of Justice recommends the following: Declaration of a State of Economic Emergency: A formal declaration under Article 6 of the Federal Law on the State of Emergency to enable the delegation of special powers for managing the economic crisis. Activation of Emergency Powers: The delegation of national economic powers to allowing for the temporary adjustment of fiscal policy, liquidation of certain state assets if needed, and reallocation of resources to prevent further destabilization by technocratic experts. IV. Conclusion Given the escalating risks and impacts posed by the ongoing international speculation, as well as the compounded pressures on Russia’s financial stability, the Ministry of Justice believes that the criteria for the declaration of a state of emergency as per the 1995 Federal Law are met. We urge the President of the Russian Federation to take swift action to implement the necessary measures to protect the country’s economy and safeguard the welfare of its citizens.

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