The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on Tuesday that Russia's legislation on "foreign agents" violated the rights of the groups designated as such and ordered Russia to pay many of them compensation.
Russia uses the term "foreign agents", which carries Cold War connotations of espionage, to label organisations and individuals it deems to be engaging in political activity with foreign support.
Foreign agents are required by law to label their publications with a lengthy disclaimer, regularly report on their income and spending, and undergo financial audits.
