Russian Supreme Court dissolves NGO Memorial, pillar of the defense of freedoms in the country – archyde

The decision was awaited and scrutinized abroad. The Russian Supreme Court announced, Tuesday, December 28, the liquidation of the NGO Memorial, a real pillar of civil society.

“The decision is to liquidate Memorial international and its regional branches”, wrote the NGO on its Telegram account, a few seconds after the Supreme Court began to announce its decision.

The Russian Attorney General in mid-November called for the disbandment of the group, whose work ranges from protecting human rights to investigating the crimes of the Soviet regime. The document sent to the Supreme Court then referred to “Systematic violations” of the law on foreign agents. In a statement released later, the prosecutor’s office considered that the work of the NGO “Violated[gnait] the Constitution “.

These prosecutions were seen as a new level in the crackdown on the critical voices of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The 2012 Law on Foreign Agents has become the most common instrument of pressure against Russian civil society and independent media, forcing organizations or designated individuals to comply with a number of binding obligations. .