The ALDE party, 23.10.2014

The Memorial human rights group, winner of Sakharov Prize in 2009, is under threat of closure by Russian authorities, after being accused of not respecting the laws governing NGO’s activity.

The European Parliament voted today on a resolution urging Russia to stop the crackdown on civil society and non-governmental organizations and condemning the way in which Russian Ministry of Justice interferes with citizens’ constitutional rights.

ALDE MEP, Marietje Schaake, (D66/The Netherlands) says Russia has to stop the harassment on those who criticise the regime:

“Putin’s aggression towards its neighbours requires urgent attention, but must never overshadow the human rights situation in Russia itself. Civil society, journalists and opposition figures are repressed,intimidated and the Russian people live in an unfree society, although propaganda suggests otherwise. Laws systematically undermine freedoms and give authorities greater unchecked powers. The closing of Memorial is more than symbolic. Its founder Andrei Sakharov inspired the name of our human rights award, which was given to memorial in 2009. We urge the scheduled lawsuit against them of November 13 to be recalled and urge Russia to revoke all conspiracy theory driven foreign agent laws.”

Earlier this month, the Justice Ministry requested the Supreme Court to close Memorial for alleged legal violations. The ministry’s claim against the organization appears to stem from a technical violation involving the group’s organizational structure, which lacks a central office to oversee all of its operations.

Schaake: “The government of the Russian federation should at the very least adhere to agreements it has itself made, in the context of the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the European Court of Human rights, and of course its own constitution. We see a clear difference between ill guided Kremlin policies and the population of Russia and we support their aspiration for a just, democratic and free Russia.”

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