22:05, 7 December 2021

Dunja Mijatović urges to discontinue liquidation of “Memorials”*

Dunja Mijatović. Photo: Press Service of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, OSCE / Mickey Croell

In her letter to the Russian Prosecutor General, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović notes that the use of the Russian law on foreign agents to liquidate the “Memorials”* NGOs (the International Historical, Educational, Charity and Human Rights Society “Memorial”* (International Memorial) and the Human Rights Centre (HRC) “Memorial”* contradicts the European principles of human rights protection. The Council of Europe Commissioner has urged the Russian Prosecutor General to discontinue the liquidation proceedings against the human rights organizations.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on November 17, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović had already spoken against the liquidation of the “Memorials”* NGOs. “Instead of harassing and stigmatizing the human rights NGOs, the Russian authorities should cooperate with them and with civil society in general,” Dunja Mijatović emphasized in her statement released that day.

On November 8, the Moscow Prosecutor's Office filed a lawsuit to liquidate the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", claiming that the Centre was justifying extremism and terrorism. On November 23, at a preliminary court session, the claimant's representative was unable to explain on what grounds the prosecutor's inspection of the Centre was carried out.

According to the Council of Europe’s website, in her letter to Russian Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov released today, Dunja Mijatović expressed her concern about the liquidation of the “International Memorial”* and the HRC “Memorial”*.

"The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights urges the Russian Prosecutor General to discontinue the process,” the post reads.

The Russian law on foreign agents “largely interferes with the rights of freedom of association and expression and have a significant chilling effect on the work of civil society organisations active in the field of human rights, the rule of law and democracy. In addition, the term ‘foreign agent’ stigmatises the persons concerned, leading to their marginalisation in Russian society, which is why its use should be abandoned,” Dunja Mijatović stated in her letter.

*The organization has been put by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) on the register of NCOs performing functions of a foreign agent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 7, 2021 at 05:14 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: The Caucasian Knot