From the MT:
"Justice Ministry Moves to Liquidate Renowned Human Rights Group Memorial"
Russia's Justice Ministry has filed a claim with the Supreme Court seeking the liquidation of the Russian Memorial Society, an independent human rights group. Critics say the move exemplifies the Kremlin's ongoing stifling of non-governmental organizations. The Russian Memorial Society, which was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize by the European Parliament last year, was created in the 1980s by Soviet dissidents to preserve the legacy of the victims of Stalinist repression. News broke among Russian state-run media outlets Friday that the Justice Ministry had appealed to the Supreme Court in late September to dissolve the NGO, which has been critical in recent months of Russia's stance on Ukraine. The high court's hearing on the matter is set for Nov. 13.
According to a statement published by Memorial on Saturday, the Justice Ministry's official explanation for the lawsuit — which it has not made public — centers on technicalities involving the human rights group's organizational structure. Memorial, which is comprised of a patchwork of smaller groups that work in the fields of philanthropy, human rights advocacy and historical research, said in a statement that the Russian government had started expressing concern regarding the organization's status in 2012. Under Russian law, an organization can only be classified as "national" if it is represented across more than half of Russia's regions via formally registered "regional" organizations. Memorial is comprised of numerous organizations operating across the country under one central umbrella, but it lacks a head office that oversees all of the regional branches' operations. "The Justice Ministry's claims are baseless," the organization said in an online statement published Saturday, pledging to file a complaint challenging the government's legal action with the Constitutional Court. The organization's chairman Arseny Roginsky, a former Soviet prisoner, told the RBC news agency that in the event of the Russian Memorial Society's dissolution, some organizations that had worked under its umbrella would simply re-register with the Justice Ministry.
^ Memorial was created towards the end of the collapse of the Soviet Union and helped to bring about the horrors of the Soviet crimes. It has also worked to end hazing in the military and other important issues. If the Russian Government forces Memorial to close it will only signal that the government officials are scared of what Memorial could expose. ^
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/justice-ministry-moves-to-liquidate-renowned-human-rights-group-memorial/509293.html
"Justice Ministry Moves to Liquidate Renowned Human Rights Group Memorial"
Russia's Justice Ministry has filed a claim with the Supreme Court seeking the liquidation of the Russian Memorial Society, an independent human rights group. Critics say the move exemplifies the Kremlin's ongoing stifling of non-governmental organizations. The Russian Memorial Society, which was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize by the European Parliament last year, was created in the 1980s by Soviet dissidents to preserve the legacy of the victims of Stalinist repression. News broke among Russian state-run media outlets Friday that the Justice Ministry had appealed to the Supreme Court in late September to dissolve the NGO, which has been critical in recent months of Russia's stance on Ukraine. The high court's hearing on the matter is set for Nov. 13.
^ Memorial was created towards the end of the collapse of the Soviet Union and helped to bring about the horrors of the Soviet crimes. It has also worked to end hazing in the military and other important issues. If the Russian Government forces Memorial to close it will only signal that the government officials are scared of what Memorial could expose. ^
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/justice-ministry-moves-to-liquidate-renowned-human-rights-group-memorial/509293.html
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