Russia's Justice Ministry has designated Oleg Orlov, a veteran Russian human rights campaigner, a "foreign agent", the ministry said on Friday.
The foreign agent designation requires that people and entities on the list place a disclaimer on items they publish and imposes strict financial reporting and self-disclosure requirements.
Orlov, 70, has been for more than two decades one of the leaders of the Memorial human rights group, which won a share of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 -- a year after it was banned and dissolved in Russia.
Orlov is fighting charges of "discrediting" Russia's armed forces. In October he was fined in a case based on an article in which he wrote that Russia under President Vladimir Putin had descended into fascism.
He appealed against that verdict and prosecutors then sought a three-year jail sentence, accusing him of "political hatred of Russia", something he denies.
In December, a Moscow court ordered a retrial in Orlov's case on a legal technicality after prosecutors shifted their position.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
"Unjustified": Russia On India Facing "Enormous Pressure" Due To Energy Ties Russia Says It's Ready To Work With Any US Leader Russia, Ukraine Exchange 95 Prisoners Of War Why BJP Lost Lok Sabha Polls In Uttar Pradesh - 6 Reasons In Party Report Travel Influencer Aanvi Kamdar Dies After Falling Off A Waterfall Near Mumbai Amid Huge Row, Karnataka Pauses Bill For Reservation In Private Sector Firms "Unjustified": Russia On India Facing "Enormous Pressure" Due To Energy Ties Man Receives Worm-Infested Amul Buttermilk, Company Apologises Meta Decides To Suspend Its Generative AI Tools in Brazil Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.