The article published on Wednesday on the daily's website says that the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute closed their offices in Russia and also relocated seven Russian nationals who worked there, including the heads of the offices Tamerlan Kurbanov and Natalia Budayeva, abroad along with their families.
"We were working in an atmosphere of growing nervousness. The U.S. central office knew that the atmosphere was becoming increasingly hostile. Considering that our work here was hampered, they decided to close the Russian office. And knowing that we were threatened with high treason charges, the administration proposed that we leave and arranged for our relocation to Lithuania," one of the employees who left Russia told Kommersant on condition of anonymity.
"The NDI left only its accountant in Russia, who works under a power of attorney and performs only the minimal function of compiling financial reports. However, the NDI administration is seriously worried about the accountant's fate as well," the employee said.
In his words, after Russia adopted laws complicating the work of NGOs on its territory, Federal Security Service (FSB) officers started visiting the heads of the NDI and IRI offices increasingly frequently.
The main reason for concern about the NDI and IRI personnel was the amendment to the Criminal Code regarding high treason and spying which was passed by the State Duma last autumn, as security officers would frequently suggest that the new law allowed broad application and they might use it, if necessary.
Russian citizens working for the NDI and IRI are currently in Vilnius.
"The Lithuanian authorities are considering the issuance of employment visas. We are afraid, however, that they would not like to do this so as not to provoke a new conflict with Russia, from whom they buy gas," one of the NGO employees told Kommersant.
If not granted visas, they will consider applying for political refugee status in other EU countries.
The establishment of an NDI office in Vilnius was reported back in December. The IRI had opened its office in Vilnius earlier.
Lithuania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs refused to comment on the Kommersant article and only issued a statement in response to BNS inquiry, expressing delight over the NGOs coming to Lithuania.
"We are glad that more and more international nongovernmental organization with deep traditions are opening their offices in our country. The fact that they do so here means that our legal basis is favorable for non-governmental and charity activities," the ministry said.
Russian authorities closed the local bureaus of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) at the end of 2012 because the agency was funding pro-democratic projects and thus, Moscow said, interfering with the country's internal affairs.
