Memorial strives to protect human rights and studies the crimes of the Soviet regime. The aiming prosecution is perceived as a new level in the president’s repression, Vladimir Putin, with regard to critical voices.
Le Monde with AFP
The decision was expected and scrutinized internationally. The Russian Supreme Court announced, Tuesday, December 28, the liquidation of the Memorial NGO, a true pillar of civil society.
“The decision is to liquidate international memorial and its regional antennas”, itself has announced the NGO on its Telegram account, a few seconds after the Supreme Court started the statement of its decision.
The Attorney General of Russia had requested, in mid-November, the dissolution of the group, whose work extends from the protection of human rights to the study of the crimes of the Soviet regime. The document transmitted to the Supreme Court then evoked “systematic violations” of the Foreign Agents Act. In a release released later, the Office of the Prosecutor believed that the work of the NGO “rape” the Constitution “.
These prosecutions were perceived as a new level in repression with regard to the vote criticizing President Vladimir Putin. The law of 2012 foreign agents became the most common instrument of pressure against Russian civil society and the independent media, requiring designated organizations or natural persons to submit to a number of binding obligations. .