ECtHR demands to suspend liquidation of “Memorials”* in Russia

In its letter, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) states that the execution of the Russian courts’ decisions on the liquidation of the “Memorials”* NGOs (the International Historical, Educational, Charity and Human Rights Society “Memorial” (International Memorial) and the Human Rights Centre (HRC) “Memorial”) should be postponed until the ECtHR rules on the complaint filed by Russian NGOs against the Russian law on foreign agents.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on December 28, the Moscow City Court pronounced a decision to liquidate the HRC “Memorial”*. Human rights defenders called the court’s decision a political repression.

A complaint against the Russian law on foreign agents was filed to the European Court in 2013 on behalf of eleven Russian human rights organizations, including the HRC “Memorial”* and the “International Memorial”*. The requirement for NGOs to register as “foreign agents” infringes on their rights to freedom of association and freedom of speech and violates the European Convention on Human Rights, human rights defenders say.

On November 18, a request for urgent interim measures in accordance with Rule 39 of the ECtHR Regulation was filed in connection with the threat of liquidation of two NGOs at the lawsuits filed by the General Prosecutor’s Office and the Moscow City Prosecutor’s Office.

It is the first time when the European Court applies Rule 39 with regard to NGOs, emphasizes Tatiana Glushkova, a lawyer of the HRC “Memorial”*. She is afraid that Russia could ignore the decision of the European Court.

*The organization has been put by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) on the register of foreign agents.