Russian police searched the offices of the prominent human rights organization Memorial in Moscow on Friday. The organization reported on social media that it does not know the reason for the searches and that employees of Memorial are not allowed to use their phones.
The Russian Supreme Court had already banned Memorial at the end of last year. The organization then said it was looking for legal ways to continue the work.
The organization had previously been classified as a “foreign agent”, but according to the court, it did not adhere to the rules associated with that status. For example, all Memorial publications were required by law to bear a label indicating the status of a foreign agent. According to prosecutors, this did not happen.
Memorial was founded in 1989 by Soviet dissidents, including Nobel laureate Andrei Sakharov. The organization reports on human rights violations and campaigns for political prisoners. Memorial has an extensive archive.
