Judge Alla Nasarova on Tuesday, according to media reports, accepted a request from the General Prosecutor’s Office for violating Russian laws. The NGO rejects the allegations and complains about political persecution. Memorial board member Jan announced that he would take action against the judgment at the European Court of Human Rights.
The company, which was founded in the late 1980s, spoke of a “political decision” without a legal basis. The aim is to “destroy an organization that deals with the history of political repression and the protection of human rights”. Human rights activists complain about increasing authoritarian tendencies and the persecution of dissenters in Russia.
The representative of the Russian General Prosecutor’s Office, Alexei Jafjarov, said in court that Memorial’s work portrayed the Soviet Union, which was dissolved 30 years ago, as a “terrorist state” and spread lies about the country. The Russian judiciary also accused 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. The law provides that recipients of payments from abroad can be referred to as “agents”. Many journalists are also affected.
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 Memorial has long called for the law to be repealed.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 campaigns for political prisoners – there are 349 on the list.
Many members of the opposition, including supporters of the imprisoned Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalny, have been classified by the judiciary in Russia as extremists. By keeping a list of political prisoners, Memorial faces the charge of justifying “involvement in terrorist and extremist organizations”. That is wrong – people who are persecuted for political reasons are recorded, said the memorial lawyer Tatiana Gluschkowa.
Source: Nachrichten
