Russian authorities announced on Monday that they are banning the human rights organization Amnesty International, in a new measure to suppress civil society opposing the war in Ukraine.
The decision comes amid escalating internal repression and anti-Western rhetoric from the Kremlin, writes Politico.
Accused of "global Russophobia"
The federal prosecutor's office stated in a press release that Amnesty is the "training center for global Russophobic projects" and collaborates with Ukraine, a country against which Russia has been at war for over a decade.
The organization has been labeled "undesirable," meaning it is no longer allowed to operate in the Russian Federation.
According to Russian prosecutors, Amnesty International would "justify the crimes of Ukrainian neo-Nazis," request increased funding for them, and advocate for the political and economic isolation of Russia.
These statements echo the official Kremlin line, which often uses accusations of neo-Nazism to discredit the regime in Kiev.
Controversies related to Ukraine
Since the large-scale invasion in February 2022, Amnesty has documented war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine and called for those responsible to be held accountable. The organization claims to defend human rights globally, regardless of the political context.
However, Amnesty has also been criticized by authorities in Kiev. In 2022, the head of the Ukraine office resigned after the publication of a controversial report accusing the Ukrainian army of violating international law and endangering civilians.
President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted strongly, and Amnesty apologized for the suffering caused but continued to stand by the report's conclusions.
The organization was already targeted by Russian authorities
Amnesty's Moscow office had already been closed by Russian authorities in the early weeks of the 2022 invasion. Other international organizations, such as Human Rights Watch or the foundation of actor George Clooney, have also been banned in Russia in recent years.
Since the adoption of a law in 2015 allowing the designation of NGOs as "undesirable," the Kremlin has labeled dozens of foreign foundations and organizations in this way. The measure specifically targets voices critical of the Putin regime and is part of a broader campaign to silence civil society.