Russia moved closer to what would, in effect, be a ban on many foreign non-governmental organisations as its parliament yesterday considered a bill that human rights groups have criticised as another step towards a "totally closed society".

The proposed restrictions on NGOs have provoked so much concern internationally that they were raised last Friday by George W. Bush, US president, in a meeting with Vladimir Putin, his Russian counterpart. Legal experts say the measures could contravene international human rights treaties.