Week-ending 10 December 2021
On 10 December 2021 Memorial, a cornerstone of Russian civil society, is under threat of liquidation by the Russian authorities on baseless charges. Memorial’s two entities – Memorial Human Rights Centre and International Memorial Society – were labeled “foreign agents” in 2014 and 2016, respectively. In November 2021, prosecutors filed lawsuits for their liquidation, accusing both of not adhering to the repressive “foreign agents” legislation which stigmatises activism and is contrary to Russia’s international human rights obligations. They have also accused Memorial Human Rights Centre of “justifying terrorism and extremism.” The court hearings are ongoing at the time when this statement is issued: the next hearing for International Memorial will take place on 14 December, the next preliminary hearing for Memorial Human Rights Centre – on 16 December. At stake is the organisation’s very existence and its staff’s ability to continue their human rights work. Today, on the Human Rights Day, we, the undersigned human rights organisations, strongly condemn the persecution of the two Memorials. We call on the Russian authorities to end their harassment of and threats to these and other civil society organisations. The authorities should abide by their international obligations to respect human rights and immediately repeal the “foreign agents” legislation. It is difficult to overstate the urgency of ensuring that the two Memorial entities can continue their crucial work protecting human rights. Memorial is at the very heart of Russia’s civil society, and by targeting it, authorities are hoping to destroy Russia’s civil society at large.
‘Russian Federation: Russian authorities should stop the persecution of key civil society organisation, Memorial,’ Amnesty International [and 10 other human rights organisations, including Rights in Russia], 10 December 2021
Sources:
Amnesty International, Civil Rights Defenders, Civic Assistance Committee (designated a “foreign agent” by Russia’s Justice Ministry), Committee Against Torture, Conflict Analysis and Prevention Center, EU-Russia Civil Society Forum [Board],
Front Line Defenders, Human Rights Watch, International Federation for Human Rights, Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Rights in Russia, 10 December 2021: Memorial, a cornerstone of Russian civil society, is under threat of liquidation by the Russian authorities on baseless charges. Memorial’s two entities – Memorial Human Rights Centre and International Memorial Society – were labeled “foreign agents” in 2014 and 2016, respectively. In November 2021, prosecutors filed lawsuits for their liquidation, accusing both of not adhering to the repressive “foreign agents” legislation which stigmatises activism and is contrary to Russia’s international human rights obligations. They have also accused Memorial Human Rights Centre of “justifying terrorism and extremism.” The court hearings are ongoing at the time when this statement is issued: the next hearing for International Memorial will take place on 14 December, the next preliminary hearing for Memorial Human Rights Centre – on 16 December. At stake is the organisation’s very existence and its staff’s ability to continue their human rights work.
