Czech Foreign Ministry condemns Russian ban on human rights NGO International Memorial

The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed deep concern about the decision of the Russian Supreme Court to ban International Memorial, one of Russia's oldest and most internationally respected human rights organizations.

In a statement on its web page the Czech Foreign Ministry says Tuesday’s ban is yet another example of how the Russian authorities abuse the law on „foreign agents“ to gradually narrow the space for independent, critical thinking and dialogue. It says the Czech Republic will continue to support all those in Russia who work to expose the crimes of the past and to protect human rights in the present-day.

Memorial has highlighted repressions against civil society and the absence of an independent judiciary in the Russian Federation, as well as exposing the murders of millions of Soviet citizens and foreigners, including several thousand Czechs, the statement says.