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Since January, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia announced “undesirable” already 12 organizations. The agency considered that they “pose a threat to the constitutional order and security” of Russia. If the momentum taken is not slowed down, then 2022 could become a record year for the number of initiatives that received the status of “undesirable”. Every year the Russian authorities appropriate it more and more often. We are talking about organizations that have been called “undesirable” since the beginning of the year.
“HERE Fund”
Was created in Poland in 2016, receives funding from various Polish and international organizations. Founder of the “WOT Fund” named a native of Russia Georgy Nurmanov, who moved to Poland after the dispersal of the rally on Bolotnaya Square. He opened in Warsaw, a business for the production of dumplings, and after the Russian invasion of Ukraine became help Ukrainian refugees.
“HERE Fund” is engaged projects related to the protection of human rights, the development of independent media and the integration of migrants in Poland. The goal of its activity is declared to be “Polish-Russian dialogue of civil society”. In 2018, the foundation held in Warsaw seminar for journalistswriting on international topics, and in 2019 participated in the Boris Nemtsov Forum.
Declared “undesirable” on January 25, 2022.
“Free Idel-Ural”
Socio-political movement, created in Kyiv in 2018. Its head Rafis Kashapov used to head the department “All-Tatar public center” in Naberezhnye Chelny, in 2017 prohibited court for propaganda of violation of the territorial integrity of Russia. Kashapov himself in 2015 received three years in prison for speaking out against the annexation of Crimea, and after being released, left From Russia.
“Free Idel-Ural” declares its task is to fight for the rights of the indigenous peoples of the Volga region and the Urals, as well as for the independence of Mordovia, Chuvashia, Mari El, Tatarstan, Udmurtia and Bashkortostan. “Our goal is the collapse of Russia and the creation of new states on its ruins,” said on the website of the movement.
Declared “undesirable” on February 16, 2022.
OCCRP
The full name is Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (“Project to Investigate Corruption and Organized Crime”). Association of media and reporters involved in investigative journalism around the world. It was founded in 2007 by an American Drew Sullivan. Best known for investigations based on the Panama Papers.
On February 22, 2022, the American Journalism Development Network (JDN), which manages the OCCRP project, was declared “undesirable”.
Who in Russia was interested in JDN
“Important Stories”
The project was launched in 2020 and is led by Roman Anin Former investigative journalist for Novaya Gazeta. “Important stories” published investigations about the alleged son-in-law of Vladimir Putin Kirill Shamalov, offshore transactions of “friends of the president” and purchase shares in the Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli for Rosneft (Rosneft sued the publication because of this text and won).
In the spring of 2021, Roman Anin was searched in a criminal case because of his material 2016, dedicated to the yacht of the then wife of the head of Rosneft, Igor Sechin. In August 2021, Important Stories and a number of employees of the publication received the status of “foreign agents” (one of the reasons for this was a tweet in support of Meduza).
On February 22, 2022, a Latvian company was declared “undesirable” iStories fonds – the legal entity of “Important stories”.
One of the texts of “Important stories”
Chatham House
Another name is the Royal Institute of International Affairs. Independent political institute and think tank, founded in the UK in 1920. The first chairman of Chatham House was Robert Cecil – one of the initiators of the creation of the League of Nations, Nobel Peace Prize winner. “Chatham House” located under the patronage of British monarchs, but do not get funding from the British government.
Chatham House publishes International Affairs, The World Today and the Journal of Cyber Policy, the Insights book series, and the Undercurrents podcast. In 2015 the Institute published analytical report The Russian Challenge, which, among other things, suggested that the Ukrainian conflict in 2014 would lead to a direct clash between Russia and European states. In Russia, a British report compared with Cold War propaganda.
Declared “undesirable” on April 7, 2022.
“Crimean Human Rights Group”
A non-governmental organization of Crimean human rights activists and journalists, which was created in Ukraine after the annexation of Crimea to Russia. She is is engaged protection of human rights in the peninsula. In 2021 the Russian authorities blocked website of the Crimean Human Rights Group.
“We also talked about how Russia hides the real facts about the situation with the pandemic, how it puts people at real risk of contracting the coronavirus, how it uses the education system to militarize Crimean children, and about many other things,” Olga Skrypnik, head of the organization’s board, said at the time.
The KKE was declared “undesirable” on May 4, 2022.
Heinrich Böll Foundation
German NGO that supports educational projects in the field of political science “to promote democratic expression of will, socio-political activism and international understanding.” It was founded in 1996 and is associated with the German Green Party. It has offices in over 30 countries.
The representative office of the organization in Russia was opened in 1999 and became one of the largest German foundations in the country. The Foundation supported non-profit organizations, held summer schools and conferences, provided scholarships and grants to scientists, students and civil activists.
Declared “undesirable” on May 20, 2022.
Bellingcat
An investigative project founded by Briton Eliot Higgins, a financial analyst who was interested in open source investigations of military conflicts and maintained a blog where he studied wars in North Africa and the Middle East from social media posts.
Bellingcat was founded in 2014. Among his most resonant investigations are materials on crash flight MH17 over Donbass, about the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, as well as participation in the investigation into the poisoning of Alexei Navalny.
In the fall of 2021, the project was included in the register of “foreign agents”, in March 2022 its website was blocked in Russia, and on July 13, the Prosecutor General’s Office declared its legal entities in the Netherlands and the UK “undesirable”.
Learn more about Bellingcat
The Insider
Russian edition, which was founded in 2013. It specializes in investigative journalism. Among the most famous articles of The Insider — joint with the Bellingcat group materials about involvement Russia to the downing of flight MH17, as well as poisoning Alexei Navalny.
In July 2021, the Ministry of Justice declared The Insider a “foreign agent”, after which the founder of the publication Romana Dobrokhotova and his parents were searched in a libel case because of a “disinformation” tweet about a Boeing crash near Donetsk. After that, Dobrokhotov left Russia. He was charged with illegal border crossing.
Like Bellingcat, The Insider was declared an “undesirable” organization on July 13, 2022.
One of The Insider’s lyrics
Institute for Legal Initiative of Central and Eastern Europe
Non-profit organization, also known by the acronym CEELI Institute. Was founded in Prague in 1999, declares its mission is to “promote the rule of law in the world to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual”. The Institute organizes training and conferences for members of the legal community. “Since our inception, we have worked with more than 10,000 judges, lawyers and civil society representatives from more than 45 countries,” the institute’s website says.
Declared “undesirable” on July 13, 2022.
Open Estonia Foundation
Was created in 1990 with the support of the American businessman and philanthropist George Soros (the Russian authorities have long put pressure on the organizations he created). declared its mission is “to promote the development of … democracy, in which the authorities are responsible to their citizens.”
Open Estonia Foundation organized a series of discussions “Voice of Russia” in which Russian liberal politicians, journalists and activists participated. In May 2022 in Estonia with the support of the Foundation passed event “Do Russians want wars?”
The fund was declared “undesirable” in Russia on July 19, 2022. Its head Mull Hellam statedthat it will not affect the performance of the organization.
More about George Soros and Russia
Calvert 22 Foundation
Cultural Support Fund, created in 2009 by British economist of Russian origin Nonna Materkova. The organization presents itself as “a leading institution dedicated to the promotion and support of the culture of the ‘New East'”.
The Calvert 22 Foundation cooperates with the largest universities and museums in the world (the Hermitage was among its partners) and publishes The Calvert Journal, a publication on the contemporary culture of Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia (at the end of February it suspended exit indefinitely due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine).
From 2012-2018 to the Board of Trustees of the Calvert 22 Foundation entered Alexei Kudrin, who now heads the Accounts Chamber. In 2018 Nonna Materkova participated at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, where regularly Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks.
Calvert 22 Foundation declared “undesirable” on August 1, 2022.
The Calvert Journal on The Naked Pravda podcast
Source: meduza.io
