MOSCOW/SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday dismissed criticism of state inspections of non-governmental organisations, saying the office searches that have prompted charges of harassment and caused concern in the West are routine.
Rights activists say a wave of inspections at hundreds of NGO offices in recent weeks are aimed at scaring them into registering as "foreign agents" and silencing criticism of Putin, a former KGB spy now in his third term at the Kremlin.
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