Another institution critical of the Kremlin is being silenced: A Russian court has ruled that the Moscow Helsinki Group will be dissolved. Their lawyers want to appeal.
A Russian court on Wednesday ordered the dissolution of the Moscow Helsinki Group, Russia’s oldest human rights organization. He “complied with the request of the Ministry of Justice of Russia” and ordered the “dissolution” of this non-governmental organization and its exclusion from the register of legal entities, the Moscow court said on the Telegram online service. This silenced another institution critical of the Kremlin.
At the end of December, the Moscow Department of the Ministry of Justice filed a motion demanding the “dissolution of the Moscow Helsinki Group and a ban on its activities on Russian territory”. The NGO was accused of violating its regional status by operating out of Moscow. The NGO accompanied processes and participated in events organized by regional partners. Lawyers for the Moscow Helsinki Group immediately announced that they would appeal.
The Moscow Helsinki Group was founded in 1976 during the Soviet era and was the oldest active human rights organization in Russia. For decades it was led by dissident Lyudmila Alexeyeva, who has become a symbol of resistance in modern Russia. She died in 2018.
Suppressed criticism with all its might
The current process is reminiscent of the dissolution of the Memorial organization in December 2021. Memorial campaigned to accept political persecution and Stalinist terror in the Soviet Union, but also for the protection of human and civil rights in Russia today.
Since the start of the military offensive against Ukraine, the Russian government has taken increasing action against its critics. Authorities are using a series of laws designed to clamp down on criticism and punish up to 15 years in prison for spreading “false information” about the military. Most of the Russian opposition is now in prison or in exile.
(APA/AFP)