- Joined
- Apr 18, 2013
- Messages
- 98,879
- Reaction score
- 88,781
- Location
- Barsoom
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Independent
Moscow Shutting Down Amnesty, Human Rights Watch in Russia - The Moscow Times
Russia said Friday it was shutting down the local offices of Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International that have been working in the country for the past 30 years.
www.themoscowtimes.com
4.8.22
Russia said Friday it was shutting down the local offices of Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International that have been working in the country for the past 30 years. The announcement came on the 44th day of Russia's military campaign in pro-Western Ukraine, with thousands killed and more than 11 million having fled their homes or the country in the worst refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. Human Rights Watch has been operating in Russia for 30 years, while Amnesty has had a presence in the country since 1993. All in all, 15 organizations have been taken off Russia's registry of international organizations and foreign NGOs due to "violations of the current legislation of the Russian Federation," the Justice Ministry said in a statement without providing further details.
Rachel Denber, deputy director of the Europe and Central Asia division at Human Rights Watch, said there was little doubt the move was in response to the organization's reporting on Russia's offensive in Ukraine. "The Russian government had already made it abundantly clear that it has no use for any facts, regarding the protection of civilians in Ukraine. This is just one small further proof of that," Denber said in a statement to AFP. Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, said her organization would also continue to support Russians. "We will redouble our efforts to expose Russia's egregious human rights violations both at home and abroad," she said in a statement.
A human rights pariah nation, Russia was suspended from the United Nations Human Rights Council this past week
Chatham House Think Tank Declared 'Undesirable' In Russia
Russia has declared the British think tank Chatham House an "undesirable" organization amid its ongoing crackdown on international and domestic NGOs, media, and democratic institutions.
www.rferl.org