Enlarge image
During the presidency of Vladimir Putin, the human rights situation in Russia deteriorated significantly
Photo: Mikhail Metzel / AP
Russia's best-known human rights organization Memorial is threatened with closure.
The Supreme Court will decide on a "liquidation motion" from the Attorney General's office on November 25, the judiciary announced on Thursday.
The Memorial Society, founded in 1987, spoke of a "political decision" without a legal basis.
The aim is to »destroy an organization dealing with the history of political repression and the protection of human rights«.
Persecution of dissidents in Russia is increasing
Human rights activists complain about increasing authoritarian tendencies and the persecution of dissenters in Russia.
“It's a nightmare.
It is the oldest human rights organization in Russia, ”said the prominent civil rights activist Nikolai Savanidze, who is a member of the Russian President's Council for Civil Society Development.
He wanted to take action against it.
The Russian judiciary accuses Memorial of repeated violations of the Foreign Agents Act.
The organization has been fined several times for failing to identify itself as a foreign agent.
According to the law, recipients of payments from abroad can be referred to as "agents".
Many journalists are also affected.
However, the set of rules has been criticized internationally as a political instrument for arbitrary decisions against those who think differently.
It is also lamented that those who stand up for human rights are stigmatized as spies.
Memorial has long called for the law to be repealed.
To the annoyance of the Russian leadership, the organization also advocates for political prisoners.
muk / dpa
