Russia outlaws Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES) as ‘undesirable organization’

Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has outlawed the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES) as an “undesirable organization.” 

The designation was reported by the rights group OVD-Info on Thursday, citing the Justice Ministry’s website. 

Established in 1948, ASEEES is based at the University of Pittsburgh. According to its website, the scholarly association has more than 3,200 members and supports teaching, research, and publication relating to the study of the East European and Eurasian region. ASEEES is also known for its Annual Convention and as the publisher of the prominent scholarly journal, Slavic Review. 

OVD-Info also reported that the Justice Ministry designated as “undesirable” Radio Echo GmbH, the German company that owns the online media outlet and radio station Ekho. A relaunch of the radio station Ekho Moskvy, which was liquidated shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ekho was blocked in Russia in October 2022.

Also on June 5, the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office banned the activities of the British Council, which describes itself as “the U.K.’s international organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities.” Announcing the “undesirable” designation, officials cited the British Council’s support for LGBT rights and its alleged hostility to “Russian identity” in former Soviet republics.