Nobel Prize Committee Condemns Russias Efforts to Criminalize Human Rights Group

Norwegian Nobel Committee Condemns Russian Attempts to Designate Memorial as Extremist Organisation

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has issued a statement condemning attempts by the Russian authorities to designate the human rights group Memorial as an “extreme organisation”. The committee’s chairman, Jorgen Watne Frydnes, stated that the Russian government’s actions are “deeply alarming” and pose a threat to Memorial’s work.

A petition filed with Russia’s Supreme Court on Thursday seeks to add Memorial to the country’s list of “undesirable entities”, which would prohibit the organisation from operating in Russia. Those affiliated with Memorial could face up to four years in prison and fines if designated as an extremist group.

Memorial, a co-recipient of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, has already been declared a “foreign agent” by the Russian authorities. The Supreme Court ordered its dissolution in Russia at the end of 2021.

The committee called on the Russian authorities to immediately withdraw their claim and cease all harassment of Memorial and its members. Memorial’s work focuses on documenting human rights abuses in Russia, and the organisation has formed a network of about 50 groups across Russia and internationally.

Several Russian Memorial leaders have been subjected to criminal proceedings, including Oleg Orlov, who was released from prison in 2024 after being imprisoned for speaking out against the Ukraine war. Some of these individuals are now working outside Russia to continue documenting human rights abuses.

Source: Al Jazeera