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Russia’s Supreme Court Bans Memorial as an Extremist Organization

The secret ruling triggers criminal exposure for anyone tied to the group.

Overview

  • The Supreme Court, which issued the designation on Thursday, banned all Memorial activity in Russia and said the order takes effect immediately.
  • The case was heard behind closed doors, and Memorial says its lawyer was denied entry and the charges were kept from them.
  • Judges used the vague label “international public movement,” which Memorial says does not match any real entity and could let officials pursue anyone linked to its name.
  • After the verdict, the Human Rights Center Memorial said it halted all work inside Russia and stopped taking donations from Russian bank cards to shield supporters.
  • Under Russian law, taking part in, funding, or showing symbols of an “extremist” group is a crime, and past donors to other banned groups have faced prosecution.