Russian court to rule on shutting down renowned rights group

Russia’s Supreme Court on Thursday is hearing a petition to shut down one of the country’s oldest and most prominent human rights group, a move that sparked public outrage and is part of a months-long crackdown on dissent

Russia's Supreme Court is hearing a petition Thursday to shut down one of the country’s oldest and most prominent human rights group, a move that elicited public outrage and is part of a months-long crackdown on activists, independent media and opposition supporters.

The Prosecutor General’s Office earlier this month petitioned the Supreme Court to revoke the legal status of Memorial — an international human rights group that rose to prominence for its studies of political repressions in the Soviet Union and currently encompasses more than 50 smaller groups in Russia and abroad.

Memorial was declared a “foreign agent” in 2016 — a label that implies additional government scrutiny and carries strong pejorative connotations that can discredit the targeted organization. Prosecutors allege that the group repeatedly violated regulations obligating it to mark itself as a “foreign agent” and tried to conceal the designation.

Memorial and its supporters have maintained the accusations are politically motivated.

Pressure on the group has sparked public outrage, with many prominent figures speaking out in its support this month. As a hearing into the petition to shutter Memorial commenced on Thursday, large crowds gathered in front of the Supreme Court building in a show of support for the organization.

At least three people reportedly have been detained — among them two elderly women holding banners that read “Thank you, Memorial, for remembering us” and “You can't kill the memory of the people.”

It remains unclear whether Memorial plans to continue working without being a legal entity, if the court rules to revoke its status, like several other rights groups in Russia have done following earlier crackdowns.

In recent months, the Russian government has designated a number of independent media outlets, journalists and human rights groups as “foreign agents.” At least two disbanded to avoid a tougher crackdown.