Total fines imposed on "Memorial" exceed 4 million roubles

A court in Moscow has ruled on 21 out of 28 protocols, drawn up against the structures of the "Memorial" and their leaders, on the initiative, in particular, of the Ingush branch of the FSB (Russian Federal Security Bureau). The amount of fines imposed on human rights defenders for the absence of the marking of "foreign agent" in their publications has reached 4.2 million roubles.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that after an audit conducted by the Ingush Branch of the FSB of the "International Memorial", the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", and of leaders thereof, a total of 20 protocols were drawn up against these organizations. Eight more protocols were added based on complaints of an individual, Andrei Shuvalov. On December 30, 2019, after the consideration of 20 out of these 28 protocols, the amount of fines reached 3.9 million roubles.

The lawyers of the "International Memorial" have indicated that information on the status of a "foreign agent" is present on the organization's website; while the website on the personnel of the NKVD (the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs in 1917-1930 and 1937-1946), in its turn, indicates that it was designed by the "Memorial". "Therefore, we treat all the claims as unjustified," the "OVD-Info" quotes Tamilla Imanova, the lawyer of the HRC "Memorial".