Putin signs law regulating Russian NGOs

MOSCOW (AP) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a new measure that requires from non-governmental groups receiving funding from abroad and engages in political activity to register as a foreign agent.

Many NGOs say the law is aimed at discrediting their image and that the vague definition of political activity could be applied against a wide range of initiatives.

Some of the country's most prominent human-rights groups are vowing to ignore or circumvent it.

Lev Ponomarev, head of For Human Rights, one of Russia's oldest NGOs, told the Interfax news agency after Saturday's Kremlin announcement of the signing that his group will ignore the regulation and challenge the law in court.

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