The Russian authorities on Monday outlawed Amnesty International as an “undesirable organization,” a label that under a 2015 law makes involvement with such organizations a criminal offense.
The decision by the Russian Prosecutor General’s office, announced in an online statement, is the latest in the unrelenting crackdown on Kremlin critics, journalists and activists that intensified to unprecedented levels after Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
The designation means the international human rights group must stop any work in Russia and it subjects those who cooperate with it or support it to prosecution.
Russia's list of “undesirable organizations” currently includes prominent independent news outlets and rights groups. According to independent news outlet Meduza, one of those on the list, it currently covers more than 200 entities.