A Moscow court has filed a motion to shut down a well-known human rights organization in the midst of an uprising against Russian civil rights groups, independent journalists, and opposition activists.
The Moscow City Court on Wednesday ordered the closure of the Memorial Human Rights Center just days after Russia’s Supreme Court ruled in its favor. removed the legal obligation Her sisters’ organization, Memorial, is a world-renowned civil rights group for its education in political oppression in the former Soviet Union.
Russian officials have previously called all of these organizations “foreign partners” – a name that brings more government scrutiny and sarcasm.
Prosecutors called for the closure of the groups last month, alleging they had repeatedly violated laws that force them to show themselves to be outsiders in everything they do.
The Memorial and the Memorial Human Rights Center denied the allegations on political grounds.
“We have been saying from the beginning that the law on ‘foreign workers’… should not be allowed, and should not be changed but should be repealed because it was created with the intent to disrupt society. Today, we have received further evidence of this,” said Alexander Cherkasov, chairman of the Memorial Human Rights Center. .
The arrest sentences angered many, with the majority of supporters coming to court on Tuesday and Wednesday even though it was cold.
All Memorial organizations have pledged to appeal the decision to repeal their legal obligations. In a statement on Tuesday, the Memorial pledged to “find acceptable ways to continue our work”.
‘Constant attack’
The United Nations said Wednesday that it was “deeply concerned” by a Russian court ruling banning the Memorial, saying it would further reduce Russia’s “decline in human rights”.
The UN Human Rights Office has ruled that legal recognition of a person should not be discriminated against.
“We are deeply saddened by the Supreme Court’s decision to ban Memorial International, as well as the Moscow City Court’s decision to shut down the Memorial Human Rights Center,” a spokesman told AFP.
“These actions are dismantling two Russian human rights groups and weakening the ever-declining human rights movement.”
Amnesty International says the decision to close the Human Rights Monument “is another threat to the Russian people after years of terrorism”.
Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said she was “deeply concerned” by the dissolution of Russia’s civil rights movement.
“The memorial has been working hard for years to ensure that the atrocities in the Soviet Union are not forgotten. Its closure is yet another threat to Russia’s right to free speech,” Truss said on Twitter on Wednesday.
Breaking
In recent months, Russian authorities have demanded the release of freedom fighters, newspapers, and journalists alike, citing many as foreign diplomats.
Some have been described as “unwanted” – a sign that bans organizations in Russia – or are accused of joining forces with “inappropriate” groups, and several have been forced to close or isolate themselves to avoid prosecution.
Saturday, government officials banned the page OVD-Info – a well-known legal aid organization that focuses on political extremism – and urged social networking sites to cancel their accounts after a court ruled that the website contained materials that “promote the activities of terrorist and terrorist groups”. “. The group denied the allegations on political grounds.
Moscow city officials sent another notorious human rights group with the eviction notice Tuesday.
The Civic Assistance Committee, which assists refugees and migrants in Russia, said officials had issued a letter banning the agreement on the use of the facility without compensation and ordered it to be vacated within a month.
“Civic Assistance is struggling [this]”The chairperson of the council, Svetlana Gannushkina, said.
A number of Russian NGOs have begun to operate as non-governmental organizations in recent years to avoid any restrictions.
