Secretary General of the Council of Europe urges Russia not to close "Memorial"

The Society "Memorial" is a symbol of the struggle for human rights and support for democratization in Russia, and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) should not admit its closure, said Thorbjorn Jagland, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the Russia's Supreme Court (SC) scheduled for November 13 the consideration of the claim lodged by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) demanding to close the Russian Society "Memorial". Rights defenders believe that the MoJ is restricting the citizens' right to form associations; and, therefore, they intend to appeal to the Constitutional Court.

"The loss of the 'Memorial' will be a doubtless shock to many Russians and may result in deterioration of Russia's image in the international arena," the "Interfax" quotes today Mr Jagland as saying.

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe held a telephone conversation with Alexander Konovalov, the head of the Russia's MoJ, and expressed his personal concern over the situation around the "Memorial". "I called on the Minister to use all the possible ways towards a correct legal solution that will allow this highly respected organization to continue its important work," says Mr Jagland's statement as quoted by the "Vesti" today.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.