On Thursday, famous British guitarist and singer Mark Knopfler canceled his planned shows in Moscow and St. Petersburg, citing toughening of Russian government's stance towards nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

      "Given the crackdown by Russian authorities on groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, I have regretfully decided to cancel my upcoming concerts in Moscow and St. Petersburg in June. I have always loved playing in Russia and have great affection for the country and the people. I hope the current climate will change soon" Mark Knopfler said in his statement on the official website.

      As it is also said on the website people who bought tickets to the planned June 7 show in Moscow and the June 8 concert in St. Petersburg “should contact their point of purchase for refunds.”

      Up to 2,000 rights groups and NGOs in Russia have been raided by prosecutors and other officials over the past several weeks, according to some estimates. Many human rights activists complain those raids were often time-consuming and some inspectors behaved impolitely.

      The raids can probably be linked to a law passed last year in Russia that tightens control over nongovernmental group and obliges those that receive foreign funding to register as “foreign agents.”