The Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation has designated the Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom as an undesirable organization. On April 17, 2024, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation included the Foundation in the relevant list. From this moment on, any activity of the Foundation on the territory of the Russian Federation is prohibited.
Russian citizens are prohibited from participating in the activities of undesirable organizations, including those outside the Russian Federation. Violation of the ban carries administrative penalties (Article 20.33 of the Administrative Code: a fine of up to 15,000 rubles or administrative arrest for up to 15 days), and in the case of repeated violations within a year, criminal liability (Article 284.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
In connection with this, we are suspending cooperation with Russian citizens, for whom the application of this repressive law threatens criminal cases initiated in Russia arbitrarily. Unfortunately, we will not be able to invite participants from Russia to the Boris Nemtsov Summer School of Journalism, which is planned for this year. We will reformat our programs to ensure that participation in them does not put Russian citizens at risk.
The Foundation considers the decision of the Russian authorities, as well as the law on undesirable organizations itself, to be politically motivated, unlawful, and undermining the fundamental principles of democracy and human rights. Along with us, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties and our partner, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, were included in the list.
The Boris Nemtsov Foundation will challenge the decision to be designated as “undesirable” because it disagrees with this repressive action of the Russian authorities. We will continue our work to promote democracy, human rights, and enlightenment.