The dissolution of the Memorial Human Rights Center ordered by the Russian justice this Wednesday provoked international condemnations, a day after the Supreme Court decided to ban the central structure of this emblematic organization.
“We deeply regret the decision of the Supreme Court to close Memorial International, and the Moscow court to close its sister organization, the Center for Human Rights.”Said a spokeswoman for the UN Human Rights office.
The United Nations noted that the Russian justice’s decisions to ban the renowned NGO “further weakens” the human rights defense community in Russia.
After studying the prosecution’s request, Judge Mikhail Kazakov ordered the dissolution of the Memorial Center for Human Rights, which campaigns against rights abuses in present-day Russia and has also testified to the history of the victims of Stalinism.
In a message on social media, British Foreign Minister Liz Truss spoke of the NGO’s work and described the Russian justice measures as “terrifying blow”For freedom of expression.
For its part, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) asked Russia to “suspend”The decision to dissolve Memorial so that the Court has time to examine the NGO’s claim, which will challenge the decision of the Russian justice system.
On Tuesday, the court ordered the closure of Memorial International, the central structure that coordinates the organization’s network in Russia, and of its regional antennas, arguing that it did not respect the obligations of its statute of “foreign agent”.
This label, reminiscent of “enemy of the people“In times of the Soviet Union, it was reserved for internationally funded organizations that allegedly act against Russian interests.
The prosecution accused the Memorial Center for the Defense of Human Rights of advocating “terrorism and extremism” and violating the law on “foreign agents” by not qualifying themselves as such.
“Over the past three decades, all of our activities have been aimed at protecting the citizens of Russia and the interests of the Russian state.”, Alexander Sherkasov, director of the center, defended himself in court.
“Monstrous event”
International experts and observers believe that the Russian authorities are using the accusations of extremism and terrorism to punish critics of Putin.
The prosecution added Tuesday that Memorial “creates a false image of the USSR as a terrorist state and denigrates the memory of the Second World War ”.
The persecution of Memorial International, which enjoys great prestige in the West for its role as a chronicler of abuses in Russia since Soviet times, has sparked much outrage abroad.
The closure of this NGO “shows the fear of the Russian government, which is no longer willing to tolerate an objective and honest control of its behavior, as Memorial did”Kenneth Roth, executive director of the NGO Human Rights Watch, said in a video statement.
On Tuesday, the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, described the closure of Memorial as persecution, while the head of European Union (EU) diplomacy, Josep Borrell, recalled that “critical glances at his past are essential to the healthy development and progress of societies ”.
These legal actions are framed in the climate of increasing repression against those perceived as adversaries of the Kremlin.
Founded in 1989 by Soviet dissidents, including the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Andrei Sakharov, Memorial focused on Stalinist crimes and the gulags, and after the fall of the Soviet Union it also committed itself to defending human rights and human rights. minorities in Russia.
During the two Chechen wars in 1990 and 2000 he reported abuses by Russian forces and their local allies. In 2009, its person in charge in this region of the Caucasus was assassinated in a crime not yet elucidated.
Supporters of the NGO believe that the Kremlin wants to suppress the entity to silence history in its strategy to celebrate the heroism of the Soviet Union against the Nazis and minimize the victims of Stalinism.
“Even by 2021 standards, Memorial’s closing is an extraordinary event. Monstrous one“The independent news website Meduza said in an editorial.
In a statement Tuesday night, Memorial International had announced that it was not throwing in the towel. “We will challenge the decision of the Supreme Court of Russia in every way possible. And we will find legal ways to continue our work“, he pointed.
.
Ricardo is a renowned author and journalist, known for his exceptional writing on top-news stories. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he is known for his ability to deliver breaking news and insightful analysis on the most pressing issues of the day.
