Petition in defence of “Memorials”* gains over 126,000 signatures

The petition demanding not to allow the liquidation of the “Memorials”* NGOs (the International Historical, Educational, Charity and Human Rights Society “Memorial” (International Memorial) and the Human Rights Centre (HRC) “Memorial”) gained 126,682 signatures ahead of the court hearing to be held on the claim to liquidate the historical and educational society.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that after the lawsuits on liquidation of the HRC “Memorial”* and the “International Memorial”* had been filed, a petition in support of the NGOs was posted on the “Change.org” website.

A hearing of the Supreme Court (SC) of Russia on the claim filed by the General Prosecutor’s Office on the liquidation of the “International Memorial”* because of the lack of marking the status of a foreign agent is scheduled for December 14. The first court hearing took place on November 25. The court is considering the case in a formal way, without comparing the scale of the violations imputed to the NGO with the significance of its activities, human rights defender Oleg Orlov notes.

Let us remind you that on November 8, the Moscow Prosecutor’s Office filed a lawsuit to liquidate the HRC “Memorial”*, considering that the NGO was justifying extremism and terrorism.

Protest actions took place in several Russian cities after the lawsuits filed to liquidate the HRC “Memorial”*. Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović has twice spoken against the liquidation of the “Memorials”* NGOs.

*The organization has been put on the register of foreign agents by the Russian Ministry of Justice.