ST. PETERSBURG, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- A foreign NGO in Russia's northern capital St. Petersburg was forced by local authorities to register as a 'foreign agent' Tuesday under the terms of a controversial federal law brought into force in 2012.

The Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI)' s Russian partner, Freedom of Information Foundation, has been asked to register as a foreign agent after evidence was gathered by local prosecutors concerning the foundation's foreign funding sources and alleged political activities, including "attempting to shape public opinion," local media reported.

The IDFI spokespeople rejected the decision and promised to appeal.

As of July last year, 22 NGOs across Russia were officially registered as foreign agents, and the number has grown since September after a number of NGOs were suspected of sharing sensitive information concerning Russia's internal affairs with visiting G20 delegates in St. Petersburg, including U.S. President Barack Obama, local media reported.

Russia's foreign agent law is designed to prevent NGOs from pursuing the agendas of foreign governments on Russian soil. Although not initially enforced, President Vladimir Putin made it clear in a speech on Valentine's Day last year that the law was to be taken seriously.

"Any direct or indirect interference in our internal affairs, any form of pressure on Russia, our allies and partners is unacceptable," Putin once said with reference to the law.

Local and foreign critics of the law argued that it is a throwback to an obsolete Cold War mentality, and that the "foreign agent" label is a deliberately pejorative one designed to discredit NGOs and hinder their work within Russia.

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