MoJ files lawsuit on liquidation of Moscow Helsinki Group

The claim for the liquidation of the Moscow Helsinki Group (MHG) has been submitted to the Moscow City Court; the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) plans to liquidate the organization on a formal basis, Eva Merkacheva, a human rights defender, believes. The MoJ decided to liquidate the MHG and ban its activities due to monitoring of trials and appeals to authorities outside the Moscow region, the MHG has informed.

Eva Merkacheva, who is a member of the Council under the President of the Russian Federation for the development of civil society and human rights, has noted that "the story is strange." "The MHG had its observers at trials held in other regions, but they believe that it was done within the framework of their partnerships," she said.

The "Memorial" Centre for Defence of Human Rights has supported its colleagues.

In 1982, the MHG went through "liquidation" after Soviet authorities persecuted its members. Almost all of them were accused, arrested or forced into exile, but in 1989 the MHG resumed its work, says the Telegram channel of the Centre.

In 2014, the MHG was forced to curtail most of its projects due to lack of funds. According to Svetlana Astrakhantseva, the MHG's executive director, this happened because most of the Western donors left Russia after the law on non-commercial organizations (NCOs)-foreign agents came into force. Later, the Group completely refused from foreign funding, the "Kommersant" has reported.

The MHG continues its activities to protect human rights: it monitors pressure on activists and civil organizations, and provides legal consultations.