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politics22h ago
Russia outlaws Human Rights Watch as an 'undesirable organization'
Latimes.com and 1 more
- Russia designates Human Rights Watch as an 'undesirable organization,' making involvement illegal under a 2015 law and forcing the group to halt work in the country.
- The move is framed as part of a broader Kremlin crackdown on critics, journalists, and activists that has intensified since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
- More than 275 entities, including media outfits and think tanks, are on Russia’s 'undesirable' list, illustrating the breadth of the campaign against independent voices.
- HRW Executive Director Philippe Bolopion condemned the crackdown, noting a shift toward dictatorial policies and expanded war crimes in Ukraine.
- A separate Russian move designated Pussy Riot as an extremist organization, signaling broader tactics against dissenting groups.
- The Supreme Court also labeled the Anti-Corruption Foundation, tied to Navalny, as a terrorist organization, expanding the dragnet against opposition-aligned groups.
- "There is no doubt that other organizations will soon be designated as ‘terrorists’ — independent media, human rights projects, and local initiatives," the foundation said, underscoring a widening crackdown.
- HRW’s longstanding work in post-Soviet Russia has historically pressed the government to uphold rights and freedoms, a mission now met with intensified repression.
- The 2015 law behind the crackdown criminalizes involvement with designated organizations, potentially criminalizing cooperation with HRW inside Russia.
- The designation adds to Russia’s broader suppression of independent media and rights groups, signaling unprecedented pressures on civil-society actors.
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