Russian policemen – illustration photo.
Moscow – The Russian Prosecutor General's Office has designated Transparency International as an undesirable organization, Russian media reported today. The Berlin-based NGO, which fights corruption around the world, has previously been labeled a foreign agent by Russian authorities. Cooperation with an undesirable organization is punishable by criminal penalties and imprisonment in Russia.
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Transparency International is “led by citizens of foreign countries” and its activities “clearly go beyond the scope of the declared goals and tasks”, the Interfax agency quoted the prosecutor's office as saying. “It formally acts as an organization fighting corruption around the world, but it interferes in the internal affairs of the Russian Federation, which poses a threat to the foundations of the constitutional establishment and security of the Russian Federation,” the Prosecutor General's Office stressed.
It forwarded its decision to the Ministry of Justice to place Transparency International on the blacklist of undesirable foreign and international organizations. With similar reasoning, the Russian authorities have already banned dozens of foreign organizations.
The list of undesirable organizations was created by the authorities after the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the announcement of Western anti-Russian sanctions. Organizations included in the list may not operate in Russia and Russian citizens may not cooperate with them under threat of up to six years in prison. Due to working in an organization designated as extremist, there is a risk of an even longer stay behind bars.
In November 2019, the Russian Ministry of Justice also included the Czech humanitarian organization People in Need. They interpreted the decision as a fairly expected reaction of the authorities to the fact that the organization in Russia supported civil society and people who speak out against corruption, against the destruction of the environment, who fight for the rights of minorities, who want greater transparency of the Russian state and for Russia to comply with international obligations regarding protection and observance of human rights.
