27 July 2024, 18:35
Court refuses to remove "Memorial" CHRD* from register of foreign agents
The "Memorial" Centre for Human Rights Defence (CHRD)* has challenged its inclusion into the register of foreign agents, but the Moscow Zamoskvoretsky District Court has refused to overturn it.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that after the liquidation of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial"** in June 2022, the public organization – the "Memorial" CHRD* was created. The Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) included the CHRD* into the register of foreign agents. The decision was made three days after the verdict against Oleg Orlov***, the Centre's co-chairman, on charges of discrediting the Russian Army.
In October 2022, the HRC "Memorial** became one of the Nobel Peace Prize laureates. Estonian MPs had nominated the HRC** for the above Prize, without specifying which legal entity they decided to nominate for the award. The decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize was made taking into account the many years of work of all the "Memorials"** for the benefit of peace and human rights, the prize gives a chance to continue their work, human rights defenders then pointed out.
The Zamoskvoretsky District Court of Moscow has considered the application lodged by Sergey Davidis, the CHRD's*, who claimed that the recognition of the CHRD* as a "foreign agent" was illegal; it has imposed additional obligations thereon, and also violated its constitutional rights and was politically motivated. In its objections, the MoJ stated that the Centre is providing legal assistance to "those subjected to political persecutions" and distributes foreign agents' materials.
Alexandra Baeva, a lawyer with the CHRD*, has noted that the MoJ had itself listed such areas of the Centre's activities as help to refugees, migrants, mobilized personnel and other people in very difficult life situations. She has added that the MoJ had recognized the importance of the CHRD's human rights activities, but still, nevertheless, treated them as activities of a "foreign agent".
"These people face the gravest human rights violations, such as kidnappings or torture, and cannot receive qualified legal assistance only because the discriminatory law [on "foreign agents"] is still in effect in the Russian Federation and is applied to anyone who shows any disapproval of Russian authorities," the lawyer has emphasized.
*As reported on the website of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the reason for including on March 1, 2024, the unregistered "Memorial" Centre for Human Rights Defence (CHRD) into the roster of foreign agents was the spread of "inaccurate information aimed at creating a negative image of the Russian Federation, as well as the Russian Armed Forces."
**On December 29, 2021, by the decision of the Moscow City Court, the Russian legal entities of the "International Memorial" and the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" were liquidated. Activists of the organizations have reported that both organizations will continue their work without forming legal entities.
***Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 26, 2024 at 02:54 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Source: Caucasian Knot
