Russia's Supreme Court has allowed the Nobel Peace Prize-winning rights group Memorial to be labeled as an "extremist" organization, a move that will allow authorities to go after anyone who contributes to the work of the group or shares materials it has published.
The ruling was handed down on April 9 during a closed-door hearing that is the latest attempt in a long-running crackdown by officials in Russia to curb free speech. The campaign has gained momentum since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 as authorities look to limit criticism of the military operation.
The court said Memorial is "clearly anti-Russian in nature" and "aimed at destroying the basic foundations of Russian statehood."
"This unlawful decision marks a new stage of political pressure on Russian civil society," Memorial said in a statement.
SEE ALSO:
In Russia, Putin Sees Something Not Seen In Years: A Notable Drop In Approval Ratings"As of today, the Memorial Human Rights Defense Centre is ceasing all activities directly within Russia. We have no employees, members, or volunteers in Russia. We do not accept donations from Russian bank cards, as this could put our donors at risk. Outside of Putin’s Russia, the Memorial Human Rights Defense Centre will continue its work, regardless of any repressive decisions by Russian state authorities."
The ruling is part of a Kremlin assault on Memorial, which has spent decades exposing the crimes of the Soviet government -- particular during the era of dictator Josef Stalin -- against its own people.
The organization was banned in Russia in December 2021 for purportedly violating the country's draconian laws on so-called foreign agents.
In 2022, Memorial was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize along with Ukraine's Center for Civil Liberties and Ales Byalyatski, the jailed founder of the Belarusian rights group Vyasna.
"The Norwegian Nobel Committee is deeply alarmed by the Russian authorities’ latest attempt to destroy Memorial," the committee said in a statement ahead of the ruling.
"Memorial was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its decades-long work documenting war crimes, human rights abuses, and the victims of Soviet-era repression. To designate such an organization as extremist is an affront to the fundamental values of human dignity and freedom of expression."
Since its ban inside Russia, Memorial has been operating mainly from abroad to support hundreds of political prisoners still inside the country.
The April 9 ruling was directed at "the international public movement Memorial," which the group says doesn't formally exist.
The vague designation by Russian authorities, Memorial says, is a deliberate move to allow the prosecution of anyone speaking out on human rights or historical crimes.
Also on April 9, Russian media reports said authorities detained Oleg Roldugin, a journalist with the independent media outlet Novaya Gazeta, in connection with an investigation into the alleged misuse of personal data.
The detention came after security officers carried out searches at the outlet's Moscow office the same day. The newspaper's staff said lawyers for the outlet were reportedly denied access during the operations, and staff members were present inside the building.
Novaya Gazeta, once led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dmitry Muratov, is known for exposing human rights abuses and corruption in Russia, making it a frequent target of state authorities.
Since 2000, the newspaper has seen six of its journalists and contributors killed, including investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya. Russian authorities have denied any connection in the deaths.