File:2021-12-29t123940z 1 lynxmpehbs0d2 rtroptp 3 russia-politics-rights-memorial.jpg

Summary

Граждане выражают недовольство тем, что решение Мосгорсуда от 2021.12.29 направлено на Уничтожение исторической памяти России.

People dislike the Erasing history by sedition of Mosgorsid 2021.12.29.

Lawyer Ilya Novikov speaks to the media outside the Moscow City Court building after a hearing to consider the closure of the Memorial human rights center in Moscow, Russia, Dec 29, 2021. (Photo: Reuters/Evgenia Novozhenina)

Image by CNA^[1]

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Description

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/russia-shuts-memorial-human-rights-centre-moscow-court-2405906 Russia shuts Memorial Human Rights Centre in 'one-two punch' Lawyer Ilya Novikov speaks to the media outside the Moscow City Court building after a hearing to consider the closure of the Memorial human rights center in Moscow, Russia, Dec 29, 2021. (Photo: Reuters/Evgenia Novozhenina) 29 Dec 2021 09:57PM (Updated: 29 Dec 2021 09:57PM)

MOSCOW: Russia's Memorial Human Rights Centre was ordered to shut by a Moscow court on Wednesday (Dec 29), a day after its sister organisation - Russia's oldest human rights group - was forced to close.

The Human Rights Centre keeps a running list of individuals it classifies as political prisoners, including Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

The list includes Jehovah's Witnesses and Muslims convicted of terrorism who Memorial says were victims of "unproven charges based on fabricated evidence because of their religious affiliation".

"Pozor! Pozor!" (Shame! Shame!) Memorial supporters chanted outside the court, wrapped up against a temperature of -12 degrees Celsius.

The UN human rights office in Geneva said Russian courts had decided to "dissolve two of Russia’s most respected human rights groups and further weaken the country’s dwindling human rights community".

"We urge the Russian authorities to protect and support people and organisations that work to advance human rights across the Russian Federation," it added.

State prosecutors had said the Centre's work justified terrorism and extremism, something it denied.

They had also accused it of failing to systematically label its content as that of a "foreign agent" - an official designation carrying pejorative Soviet-era connotations that it was given in 2014.

There was no immediate comment from the Kremlin, which says it does not interfere in court decisions.

The Centre operates a network of offices across the predominantly Muslim North Caucasus region, where it has documented rights abuses in places such as Chechnya and provided legal and practical help to victims.

Those offices will have to be shut unless the Centre wins an appeal.

Anna Dobrovolskaya, the Centre's executive director, said outside the court that the authorities appeared set on purging all human rights groups, starting with Memorial.

"TOO AWKWARD"

"We can't say this was a complete surprise for us," she said.

"There was a feeling that the space (for rights work) is shrinking. Many people will be really upset when they see these events, and many people will write about the onset of medieval and dark times."

She said the ruling would have a chilling effect on other rights activists. "Obviously our work had become too awkward, and bothered someone."

The ruling, like the Supreme Court's decision on Tuesday to shut down Memorial International, famous for chronicling and keeping alive the memory of Stalin-era crimes, was condemned by international rights groups.

"In two days, Russia's courts delivered a one-two punch to Russia's human rights movement," tweeted Rachel Denber of New York-based Human Rights Watch.

"TOO AWKWARD"

"We can't say this was a complete surprise for us," she said.

"There was a feeling that the space (for rights work) is shrinking. Many people will be really upset when they see these events, and many people will write about the onset of medieval and dark times."

She said the ruling would have a chilling effect on other rights activists. "Obviously our work had become too awkward, and bothered someone."

The ruling, like the Supreme Court's decision on Tuesday to shut down Memorial International, famous for chronicling and keeping alive the memory of Stalin-era crimes, was condemned by international rights groups.

"In two days, Russia's courts delivered a one-two punch to Russia's human rights movement," tweeted Rachel Denber of New York-based Human Rights Watch.

Related:

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/erasing-history-russia-closes-top-rights-group-capping-year-crackdowns-2404476 'Erasing history': Russia closes top rights group, capping year of crackdowns Source: Reuters/lk

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