News · Общество

Russia shuts down EU-Russia Civil Society Forum

The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office has designated the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum NGO “undesirable” in Russia, effectively shutting down the organisation.

“The organisation implements programmes and projects, drafts reports, publishes articles and research papers, holds conferences and seminars that aim to discredit Russia’s leadership,” the agency said in a statement.

Moreover, the office believes that the NGO works with people previously labelled as “foreign agents” as well as organisations designated as “undesirable”.

On 31 March, the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office shut down the Free University as an undesirable organisation. The office claims that the students are “forced to form a feeling of persistent animosity towards Russia, while an ultraliberal model of European democracy is imposed on them”.

The Free University later announced that it would suspend operations in Russia.