GPO demands to transfer office of "International Memorial"* to the state

On October 7, a court in Moscow will consider the claim lodged by the Russian General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) demanding to invalidate the deal on the transfer of the premises in Karetny Ryad Street from the "International Memorial"* to another organization and turn the property into the income of the state. The judge must respond to the defence's motion asking to transfer the case to the arbitration court, which is authorized to consider economic disputes, human rights defenders assert.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that, at the GPO's request, the court arrested the office of the liquidated "International Memorial"*, which was donated to another organization. Rights defenders treated this ruling as a raider property seizure. Also the bank accounts of Elena Zhemkova, the executive director of the "International Memorial"*, and Boris Belenkin, the executive director of the "Memorial" Research and Education Centre (R&EC), were blocked.

On October 7, the court will begin considering the GPO's suit demanding to invalidate the deal on the transfer of the premises in Karetny Ryad Street from the "International Memorial"* to the above R&EC, established back in 1990. Besides, the GPO openly demands "to transfer the property and recover the funds into the income of the Russian Federation," the "Memorial" Centre for the Defence of Human Rights has informed in its Telegram channel.

Let us remind you that on April 5, a Moscow court upheld the decision to liquidate the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial"*. On June 17, the team of the HRC announced the creation of a public organization "Memorial" Centre for the Defence of Human Rights.