Russia’s prosecutor general announced the country has banned Amnesty International, a non-governmental human rights group, on Monday, May 19. The ban came after Russian officials labeled the group an “undesirable organization,” which made any association with the group a crime under a 2015 law.
Part of a larger effort
The ban on the internationally recognized human rights group comes amid Russia’s crackdown on critics, journalists and activists it sees as a threat to its war against Ukraine. Moscow ramped up prosecution, along with laws against news organizations and international groups, following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
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Since the Ukraine war began, Russia has banned 223 international NGOs through the country’s undesirable organizations law.
Russia’s prosecutor general said in a statement that Amnesty International is an “undesirable organization” and alleged it is involved in “global Russophobic projects.”
What does the ban do?
The global organization’s outlawing means the group can no longer work in Russia, and anyone who helps or supports Amnesty International is subject to prosecution. This includes anyone who shares Amnesty International’s reports on social media.
What is Russia saying?
Russia also blamed Amnesty International for prolonging Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
“They justify the crimes of Ukrainian neo-Nazis, call for an increase in their funding, and insist on the political economic isolation of our country,” the prosecutor general said.
Moscow has repeatedly claimed that “neo-Nazis” are influencing Ukraine, a claim that Kyiv and its Western allies refute.
How are other human rights groups responding?
Amnesty International has not responded to Russia’s ban, but other human rights organizations have, including Human Rights Watch. HRW told Sky News, the ban “simply highlights Russia’s ambition to hide the truth about human rights violations.”
“This designation is nothing more than an attempt by authorities to intimidate and deter Russian citizens from supporting or cooperating with this prominent, deeply respected organization,” the deputy director for the group’s Europe and Central Asia division, Rachen Denber, said.
Other international human rights groups condemned the ban and accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of doing it to hide human rights abuses, both in Ukraine and in his country.
British lawyer Peter Benenson established Amnesty International in 1961 in London. The group advocates for human rights globally, including people facing strict restrictions on free speech. Recently, the human rights organization has released reports on Russia’s war in Ukraine, accusing Moscow of crimes against humanity. Amnesty International has also criticized Russia for its repression of journalists and activists, as the Kremlin has reportedly jailed thousands of people over the years involved in activism, dissent and journalism.
Not just Amnesty International
As Straight Arrow News previously reported, Russian authorities sentenced four journalists to prison terms for participating in a banned anti-corruption group linked to late-opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Navalny was a major critic of the Russian government and died while serving a 20-year sentence that his supporters said was meant to punish him for opposing Putin. The journalists vowed to appeal their sentences and said authorities prosecuted them for simply doing their job.
The move to ban Amnesty International follows Russia’s outlawing of groups like Greenpeace and hundreds of other news outlets and human rights groups.
contributed to this report.
