On 16 December 2021, the Moscow City Court continued the hearing of the suit filed by Moscow City Prosecutor’s Office against Memorial Human Rights Centre. On the eve of the hearing, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) filed an extra-procedural appeal in support of the organization. It became known later that the hearing was extended until December 23, 2021.
In this extra-procedural appeal, the Federation requests to dismiss the administrative claim of the Moscow City Prosecutor’s Office of November 8, 2021 concerning the liquidation of Memorial. FIDH considers the claims contained in this statement to be inconsistent with international law, Russian legislation and law enforcement practice, including the practice of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. We also insist that the legal provisions concerning the operation and activities of NGOs in Russia, in violation of which Memorial is accused, are unconstitutional to the extent that the law "On Foreign Agents" is incompatible with international human rights law.
The full text of the extra-procedural appeal can be read here (in Russian):
FIDH and its 55 member organizations have previously opposed the liquidation of International Memorial as well as Memorial Human Rights Center. The Federation claims that the Moscow City Prosecutor’s Office accusations against Memorial are politically motivated and aimed at further destroying Russian civil society and must be immediately dropped.