The Moscow City Court ruled to liquidate the Memorial Human Rights Center (recognized as a foreign agent) for systematic violations of the law on foreign agents. The decision was made by judge Mikhail Kazakov. The defense intends to appeal the decision.
“The court ruled the claims of the prosecutor’s office to liquidate the interregional public organization Memorial Human Rights Center in full,” Mr. Kazakov announced the decision.
During the meeting, the prosecutor stated that Memorial had supported illegal protest actions aimed at destabilizing the situation in Russia. According to him, the lists of political prisoners maintained by the organization are aimed at “forming a negative perception of the judicial system of the Russian Federation.” The prosecutor’s office is convinced that there is sufficient evidence that the center demonstrates “persistent disregard for laws, grossly violates the rights of citizens” and exists on money from foreign sources. Among the people recognized as political prisoners, the prosecutor mentioned “those guilty of espionage.”
The chairman of the council of the human rights center, Alexander Cherkasov, said that the state is trying to “break the red flashing light that signals that something is wrong, and not solve the problem itself,” when it closes human rights organizations. Lawyer Grigory Vaipan compared the charges against Memorial to charges against Soviet dissidents.
Memorial’s lawyer Mikhail Biryukov announced plans to appeal the liquidation decision. “We do not agree with the decision, it is our duty to appeal,” said Mr. Biryukov.
On the eve of the Supreme Court of Russia, on the basis of a claim from the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation, decided to liquidate the international society “Memorial” and all regional branches and other structural divisions of the organization for “systematic violations” of the law on foreign agents. According to the chairman of the board of the organization, Yan Rachinsky, Memorial will appeal the decision of the court, and will also appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). In addition, the organization announced plans to find legitimate ways to continue working.
More details – in the article “Kommersant” “Something went wrong with the memory.”
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