Russian human rights organization: Court rules out Moscow Helsinki group

A court in Russia has ordered the Moscow Helsinki Group to be shut down. Founded in Soviet times, it was the oldest human rights organization in the country. The civil rights activists want to appeal.

A court in the Russian capital has ordered the Moscow Helsinki Group, a human rights organization founded in Soviet times, to be shut down. Judge Mikhail Kazakov ruled in the Moscow City Court that the Russian Ministry of Justice’s request for liquidation was granted.

It had “fulfilled the request of the Russian Ministry of Justice” and ordered the “dissolution” of this non-governmental organization (NGO) and its deletion from the register of legal entities, the court said on the news service Telegram.

Department of Justice requested the dissolution

At the end of December, the Moscow Department of the Justice Ministry filed a motion demanding the “dissolution of the Moscow Helsinki Group and a ban on its activities on Russian territory.” The NGO was accused of violating its regional status by operating outside Moscow. The organization observed processes and took part in events organized by regional partners.

The lawyers of the Moscow Helsinki Group immediately announced that they would appeal. The Russian courts are considered controlled by the Kremlin, which is why the decision was expected. Many NGOs complain about political persecution by the Russian judiciary.

Civil rights activist Alexeyeva is a former chair

Founded in 1976, the Helsinki Group is the oldest human rights organization in Russia. It was created shortly after the Conference on Security and Cooperation (CSCE) when the Soviet delegation signed the Helsinki Final Act. In Soviet times, however, the group was persecuted. Official pressure only eased later. The prominent human rights activist Lyudmila Alexeyeva was the chair of the NGO until her death in 2018.

The current process is reminiscent of the dissolution of the Memorial organization in December 2021. Memorial campaigned for the coming to terms with the political persecution and Stalinist terror in the Soviet Union, but also for the protection of human and civil rights in today’s Russia.

Since the beginning of the military offensive against Ukraine, the Russian government has increasingly taken action against its critics. Authorities are using a series of laws designed to quash criticism and carry up to 15 years in prison for spreading “false information” about the military. Most of the Russian opposition is now either in prison or in exile.