Russia: Court dismantles human rights organization Memorial

Human rights activists in Russia complain about increasing authoritarian tendencies and the persecution of those who think differently. The dissolution of the international human rights organization Memorial is only the latest in a long series. Judge Alla Nazarova on Tuesday, according to the Interfax agency, granted a request from the General Prosecutor’s Office for violating Russian laws.

Memorial, however, denies the allegations and denounces political persecution. The human rights organization 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”. Jan Ratschinski, one of the heads of the organization, announced that he would proceed against the judgment at the European Court of Human Rights.

Prosecutors accuse Memorial of lying about 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 Memorial has long called for the law to be repealed.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.

Steinmeier “stunned” about dealing with Memorial

In Germany, too, the actions of the Russian judiciary caused horror. Most recently, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier condemned the action against the renowned institution. That makes “stunned,” he said. The Kremlin rejected the criticism. Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Memorial of rehabilitating Nazi collaborators in World War II.

The Topography of Terror Foundation and other German places of remembrance and memorials recently showed their solidarity with Memorial in a resolution. The institution is important for German-Russian relations. “Above all, the historical reappraisal and especially the National Socialist crimes committed in the Soviet Union are always the focus of the work,” said the resolution. Memorial had “fought tirelessly for the compensation of Soviet forced laborers”.