Russia’s Supreme Court announced on April 9 via Telegram that the activities of the human rights organization Memorial were banned nationwide after a closed-door hearing treated as “top secret.” Media and diplomats from Germany, Sweden, the Czech Republic and France were only allowed to attend the announcement of the ruling, which drew strong international criticism.
The Nobel Committee, which awarded Memorial the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, condemned the decision. The European Union delegation in Moscow called the ruling a “politically motivated blow to civil society in Russia,” noting that the state had previously recognized Memorial’s merits, provided support, and included its members on the Human Rights Council for years.
Memorial’s lawyers said the court labeled the “International Public Movement Memorial” as “extremist,” although no such organization is registered in Russia or elsewhere. They argued the vague wording was likely deliberate, creating a legal basis to target any Memorial branches, members, and supporters. Sergei Davidis, who leads Memorial’s political prisoners support program, said the Justice Ministry’s action remained secret and organization representatives were barred from the hearing. He warned the state seeks to eliminate independent information sources amid growing public dissatisfaction.
Founded in 1987, Memorial became the leading independent body documenting Soviet-era repression. Its archives hold tens of thousands of documents on victims of Soviet repression, including memoirs, personal collections and research on the gulag system. Independent outlet Mediazona reported authorities could now claim the archive as the “property of an extremist organization.” In 2023, Aleksandr Chernyshov, head of the Perm NGO Center of Historical Memory, was arrested amid allegations he tried to move archival documents to Germany.
Persecution of Memorial’s Russian branch began in 2014 when the Justice Ministry listed it as a “foreign agent.” That status was later extended to its international branch, forcing labeled publications and reports and exposing the group to fines and operational limits. In 2021 the Supreme Court ordered the dissolution of Memorial International for alleged repeated and gross violations of foreign agent laws and accused it of portraying a false image of the Soviet Union. Pressure escalated in March 2023 when searches targeted the homes and offices of nine Memorial staff, including Oleg Orlov and Yan Rachinsky. Orlov was later sentenced to two and a half years for “discrediting” the army and was released in a prisoner swap in August 2024; he now lives in Germany.
Following the April 9 ruling, Memorial said it would suspend all activities in Russia but continue work abroad. It disabled sharing and commenting on social media, urged Russian supporters to follow safety guidelines on its website, and warned people not to donate, to remove logos and links, and to delete compromising content from devices. It cautioned that merely subscribing to Memorial channels could attract law enforcement attention and that risks, while lower abroad, still exist. Memorial affirmed it will continue protecting human rights and preserving historical memory.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee called the designation an “affront to the fundamental values of human dignity and freedom of expression.” Russian political scientist Aleksandr Kynev said the move marked a new level of repression, enabling authorities to target ordinary employees. Davidis emphasized Memorial’s decentralized network and said public interest in past and present political repression persists; he urged activists to continue their work despite increased risks.
Co-founder Irina Sherbakova described the move as part of a broader government strategy to control collective memory of Soviet crimes. She pointed to the 2024 closure of the Gulag History Museum, removal of Last Address commemorative plaques, restricted archive access, and changes to official commemorative policies that omit references to mass repression and rehabilitation. Sherbakova said these steps align with what she called an increasingly ultranationalist ideology under President Vladimir Putin.
Human rights activist Anna Karetnikova said the persecution traces back to the Federal Security Service (FSB), which sees Memorial’s preservation of repression memory and advocacy for political prisoners as a threat. She warned the “extremist” label paves the way for further criminal cases and intensified pressure on civil society.
This article was originally published in Russian.