The Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation filed a lawsuit for the liquidation of the SOVA Center*

Human Rights Without Frontiers calls upon the international community to stand up for SOVA Center and the long-time human rights defender Alexander Verkhovsky, accused among other things of participating in and speaking at OSCE conferences in Warsaw

For holding events outside Moscow, the claim for the liquidation of the “foreign agent” of the SOVA Center* was filed by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation.

IRP (20.03.2023) – The Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation demands the liquidation of the information and analytical center “SOVA Center“, which was previously recognized as a foreign agent. This was reported to TASS on March 20, 20, 2023 in the press service of the Moscow City Court, where the claim was received.

“Today, the court received a claim of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation to liquidate the information and analytical center ” SOVA Center”*. The date of the meeting has not yet been set,” the court said.

The SOVA Center ” stated that the reason for the claims of the Ministry of Justice was the holding of events center outside Moscow.

“The appeal was the result of an unscheduled inspection conducted by the agency in January this year. The main violation was the holding of events outside the region of registration (in our case – Moscow) or participation in them – only this claim was filed in the claim. The Ministry of Justice counted 24 such events over the past three years, including participation in OSCE conferences. We do not agree with the position of the Ministry of Justice and will argue with him in court,” the SOVA CENTER said in a statement.

In December 2016, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation included the Regional Public Organization for Assistance to Education of Citizens “Information and Analytical Center “SOVA CENTER” in the register of non-profit organizations performing the functions of a foreign agent. The organization studies the problems of nationalism and xenophobia, the relationship between religion and society, political radicalism, respect for human rights in Russia.

 

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