The Coordinating Council of Organizations of Russian Compatriots (KSORS) in the United States announced the suspension of work due to investigations by the FBI. This was announced by Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the Russian State Duma’s international affairs committee.
The Council of Organizations of Russian Compatriots said that over the past year at least three hundred Russian compatriots in the United States, from students to retirees, were subjected to FBI investigative measures.
“This decision was obviously the result of a witch hunt. In fact, we see that for American, so to speak, law enforcement agencies, involvement in the Russian community in the United States is itself a reason for checks and investigations”, Slutsky said in his Telegram channel.
According to KSORS, some members of the community became involved in the investigation “on violations of the laws on foreign agents”. Employees of the American special services were interested in the contacts of compatriots with representatives of the Russian diplomatic mission in the United States, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Rossotrudnichestvo and other organizations.
“Once again I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the reason for the activity of the special services was allegedly the law on foreign agents. Its repeated application in relation to Russians and our compatriots does not at all prevent Washington from constantly criticizing Moscow for introducing a legislative act similar in name, although Russian legislation in this area is many times softer and concerns those who receive funding from abroad. KSORS does not distribute grants”, the deputy stressed.
In his opinion, the degree of Russophobia in the United States “begins to break through the upper marks.” Slutsky added that the humanitarian area, people-to-people contacts, culture should remain outside politics and outside the sphere of criminal prosecution.