Russia declares British Council, co-organizer of IELTS English-language exam, ‘undesirable’

Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has designated the British Council — one of the organizers of the IELTS English-language exam — an “undesirable organization.”

In a statement, prosecutors said the British Council “uses educational and cultural activities as a cover to promote long-term British interests and values in the fields of education, culture, and youth policy.” The agency also accused the organization of “actively promoting and supporting the LGBT movement, which is banned in our country,” and of “systematically discrediting” Russian state policy.

As of publication, the British Council had not commented on the decision.

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has also accused the organization of gathering intelligence about Russian troop positions in occupied Ukrainian territories by way of Ukrainian refugees, according to the state news agency TASS.

The British Council is a public institution overseen by the United Kingdom’s Foreign Office. Founded in 1934, it helps organize the IELTS exam, funds international education programs, and fosters cultural exchange between the U.K. and other countries, according to BBC News Russian. The organization operates in more than 200 countries and territories, but has not worked in Russia since 2018.

IELTS organizers suspended English-language testing in Russia in March 2022, shortly after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.