Transparency International shutters its Russia office

The Russian branch of Transparency International, an international organization combatting corruption, has announced that it will end its operations in the country.

The decision was made by the Center for Anti-Corruption Research and Initiative Transparency International Russia, the Russian affiliate of the international organization.

In an announcement on the closure, the center said that after the Russian authorities declared Transparency International an “undesirable organization,” its work became essentially impossible. The center was established in 1999.

“We made this decision because we, the founders and leaders of TI Russia, believe that the people who work for us and who believe in our mission — to fight corruption, and to promote transparency, accountability, and honesty — are more important than the words, names, and legal designations imposed on us,” said spokespeople for the organization.

Russia’s Prosecutor General declared Transparency International an “undesirable organization” on March 6.