US, UK, EU, Australia and Canada reject closure of monument | World | DW

The European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia have all rejected Russia’s decision to dissolve the NGO Memorial International and the Human Rights Center. This is made clear in a joint statement, where they assure that the work of this body is “never needed again.”

“We condemn the decision of two Russian courts to forcibly close the Memorial International and the Memorial Center for Human Rights,” they said. They stressed that both organizations were carrying out a “peaceful mission” and that “we cannot accept the claim of the judges justifying terrorism and terrorism.”

The decisions adopted by the courts on Tuesday (12.28.2021) and Wednesday (12.29.2021) this week led to the closure of key human rights organizations in Russia and the Soviet voice of revenge formed in 1987 when the Soviet Union was formed. Not yet hidden.

“For more than three decades, the monument has played a unique role in documenting historical crimes and restoring to the memory of millions of people affected by political repression in the country,” said Brussels, Washington, London, Canberra and Ottawa. “He has worked tirelessly for the protection of human rights in Russia, condemned the abuses, including in the North Caucasus, and maintains a growing list of individuals he considers political prisoners,” they continued.

They recalled their condemnation of Russian law on foreign agents, and the independent media reported that “excessive decisions have been taken to pacify the memory in Russia after months of systematic and deep repression” against human rights defenders. Groups. “As in the rest of the world, the people of Russia have the right to freedom of expression and association, including the protection of their human rights and fundamental freedoms,” they said in a statement.

Both organizations have announced that they will appeal against the sentence in Russian courts and, if necessary, go to the European Court of Human Rights.

mn (efe, Reuters)