Russia’s Justice Ministry adds Russian opposition platform at PACE and independent publisher Vidim Books to its ‘undesirable’ organizations registry
Russia’s Justice Ministry has added the independent publishing house Vidim Books and the Platform for Dialogue with Russian Democratic Forces at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to its registry of “undesirable” organizations.
In total, the ministry added 11 organizations to the registry. According to the document, Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office declared most of them “undesirable” on October 20, though the move was not made public at the time.
Russia’s law on “undesirable” organizations has been in effect since 2015. Since then, the Prosecutor General’s Office has granted that status to any foreign or international nongovernmental organization whose activities it deems a threat to “the foundations of the constitutional order, Russia’s defense capability, or its security.” Participation in and cooperation with undesirable organizations carries liability up to and including criminal prosecution.
The Prosecutor General’s Office regularly uses that status to target independent media outlets as well as associations of opposition figures and activists critical of the Russian authorities.
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