Russia has designated the New York-based Human Rights Foundation (HRF) as an “undesirable organization.” The foundation is headed by Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of late Russian opposition leader and dissident Alexei Navalny.
The “undesirable” designation is used by Russian authorities to ban the activities of organizations they consider a threat to the state. It means that any Russian citizen who cooperates with such organizations or shares their content may face criminal prosecution.
In its announcement, Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office stated that HRF had described Russia as a “fully authoritarian regime” in its “Tyranny Tracker” project.
The statement further accused HRF of attempting to discredit the Russian armed forces, promoting anti-Russian sanctions, and supporting other organizations that have been designated as “undesirable.”
Since 2015, Russia has placed hundreds of organizations on its “undesirable” list, including human rights groups such as Amnesty International, Russian and Western media outlets, as well as universities including Yale and Stanford.
