Russian authorities probe Catholic charity
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 4 April 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russian authorities probe Catholic charity, 4 April 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/519a6b4116.html [accessed 4 November 2019] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
April 04, 2013
By RFE/RL's Russian Service
ST. PETERSBURG – Authorities in the Russian city of St. Petersburg have investigated the operations of the international Catholic charity group Caritas.
The April 4 inspection of the organization's community center was a continuation of the Russian authorities' review of nongovernmental organizations around the country.
Russian officials from various agencies have been collecting registration and finance documents from hundreds of NGOs since mid-March.
The authorities say they are checking if the NGOs are in compliance with new laws on foreign financing.
The director of the Caritas community center in St. Petersburg, Natalya Pevtsova, said members of the city's education committee and officials from antiextremism, antiterrorism, and tax offices also took part in the inspection.
She said the visit shocked her organization's workers, volunteers, and clients.
Russian authorities are expected to report on April 8 on the results of the Caritas inspection.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
