The General Prosecutor’s Office of Russia demands the liquidation of International Memorial

The General Prosecutor’s Office of Russia has appealed to the Supreme Court to liquidate International Memorial (the organisation is included to the “foreign agents” register).

It also means the liquidation of all branches of International Memorial, namely the Human Rights Centre, the museum, the library and the archive. The General Prosecutor’s Office points to systematic violations of the “foreign agents” legislation as the reason, namely the lack of marking on the organisation’s materials.

The lawsuit also states that some of the materials of the Human Rights Centre “are aimed at forming the idea of the admissibility of terrorist and extremist activities, namely the activities of international extremist and terrorist organisations and participation in them, among an undetermined number of people”.

The Board of International Memorial issued the following statement:

On November 11 at 16:30 International Memorial received a notification from the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. It informs us that the Prosecutor General’s Office brought an action against International Memorial stating that our organization must be liquidated because it systematically broke the rules of Russia’s «foreign agent» law (in particular, the requirements to label all our materials). The sitting of the court is due to be held on November 25. We have repeatedly emphasized that the Russian foreign agent legislation is unlawful and consciously designed to suppress civil society. We have insisted that this law must be repealed. Yet, as long as it is in force, we are obliged to fulfil its requirements. We believe that there are no legal grounds for the liquidation of International Memorial. The decision to abolish International Memorial is politically motivated. It aims to destroy the organization which deals with the political repressions of the past and fights for human rights today.