Russian court shuts down Memorial Human Rights Center, day after sister group ordered closed
The center was charged with multiple violations of Russia’s “foreign agent” law and “justifying terrorism and extremism” in its publications, a lawyer for the organization, Ilya Novikov, told CNN.The decision comes a day after Russia’s Supreme Court decided to The rulings continue the hollowing out of Russia’s civil society organizations, which have gradually fallen victim to Putin’s authoritarian regime.Human rights groups and advocates for democracy have come under increasing attack in recent years.Thousands of protesters were detained earlier this year for taking part in several demonstrations supporting Alexey Navalny, the country’s best-known political opponent of Putin.Demonstrations during the first few months of 2021 were met with a strong crackdown by police, including widespread arrests and an allegedly disproportionate use of force.But experts worry that shuttering Memorial could be a harbinger of worse to come for any groups that fall afoul of the Kremlin.”It is difficult to overstate the urgency of ensuring that the two Memorial entities can continue their crucial work protecting human rights,” several rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, wrote in an open letter published in early December. “Memorial is at the very heart of Russia’s civil society, and by targeting it, authorities are hoping to destroy Russia’s civil society at large.”CNN’s Joshua Berlinger contributed to this report.
