Index – Foreign countries – Russia’s war in Ukraine – Index’s Tuesday news summary

On Tuesday, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) condemned Russia for the law passed in 2015, which allows for the banning of the activities of undesirable foreign and international organizations in Russia, MTI reported.

In its decision, the Strasbourg-based body stated that the Undesirable Organizations Act entails significant restrictions for the organizations concerned.

The ECtHR emphasized that the law is not precise enough regarding the reprehensible behavior of non-governmental organizations. According to the justification, in addition, vague and imprecise terms are used to define the reasons justifying the classification as undesirable, and that

In addition, the court also pointed out that the court proceedings initiated by the plaintiffs did not provide adequate safeguards against the almost unlimited discretion of the enforcement authorities in this area.

Russia has violated the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights on freedom of association and expression

said the board.

Also on Tuesday, the ECtHR also condemned Russia for denying access to archives on Soviet oppression to the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize-winning Memorial Center for Scientific Research and Information.

The search for historical truth is an integral part of the right to freedom of speech

– stated in the press release of the Strasbourg-based court.

The plaintiffs in the case are five Russian citizens and the Memorial organization, which sought access to Russian archival data documenting mass executions and deportations within the Soviet Union. In each case, the applicants were denied access to the information. They were either given incomplete information or were forbidden to make copies of the original documents.

Refusal of access to documents by the Russian authorities violates the right to information

the ECtHR stated.

Russia is no longer a member of the Council of Europe, to whose institutions the ECtHR belongs, but it can still be held accountable for violations committed before the termination of its membership.