What is left of the “Memorial” in the event of liquidation – RBC

What is left of the "Memorial" in the event of liquidation – RBC

Moscow, October 1990 Meeting in Memory of political prisoners in the KGB building on Lubyanka Square, at the initiative of the” Memorial “

Photo: RIA Novosti

The Supreme Court on November 13 to consider the requirement of the Ministry of Justice, to eliminate the Russian Historical, Educational, Charitable and Human Rights Society “Memorial”. Organization 25 years of experience in human rights work in Russia and brings together 56 regional non-governmental organizations (in 46 regions), including such influential as the Human Rights Centre (HRC) “Memorial” in Moscow and Anti-discrimination center “Memorial” in St. Petersburg.

The Ministry of Justice has applied to the court on September 24 to October defenders notified by telegram that the SC issued a lawsuit against the production, told RBC board member of the All-Russian “Memorial”, the chairman of the Human Rights Center “Memorial” Oleg Orlov. Text Search defenders have not seen the previous claim amounted to the fact that, according to the Ministry of Justice, the all-Russian “Memorial” does not exist.

Harassment organization began in December 2012, by this time had already entered into force amendments to the law NGO of “foreign agents”, but the all-Russian “Memorial” is not regulated by the Act. In their complaints to the organization Justice pointed out that the title of most regional organizations do not have the formula “branch nationwide organization” Memorial “, says the executive director of the” Memorial “Elena Zhemkova. Officially named branches, only 17 organizations from 56 Ministry of Justice believes that the 17 branches is not enough to ensure that the organization was of status nationwide. The law “On Public Associations” (Art. 14) really says that the national associations are those who “operate” on the territory of more than half of the country’s regions. But the law does not provide grounds for liquidation, if nationwide organization offices less than half of the regions.

The Ministry of Justice also claims that the organization does not spend money, and therefore does not exist, says Zhemkova. “All-Russian” Memorial “- completely dobyurovolcheskaya organization several years we did not open his account,” – says the executive director.

The elimination of the all-Russian “Memorial” in the first place will affect the 17 regional organizations that have the status of official offices “Memorial,” said Orlov. “Most likely, they will cease to exist,” – he says. According Zhemkova, they will need to re-register, as well as the most all-Russian “Memorial”.

The all-Russian “Memorial” was created in 1989 to investigate the mass repression in the USSR. Its first chairman was the Nobel Peace Prize winner Andrei Sakharov. After two years at its base formed the Moscow Human Rights Center “Memorial”. Now he and ADC “Memorial” in St Petersburg are on the verge of closing, says Orlov. Both regional organizations court decision had been made in the register as “foreign agents.”