Last week it became known that the Russian Prosecutor General's Office appealed to the Supreme Court to liquidate the human rights organization International Memorial, and the Moscow Prosecutor's Office sent a lawsuit to the Moscow City Court to liquidate the human rights center Memorial for systematic violations of "foreign agents" legislation, namely the lack of appropriate labeling on materials. Memorial claims "a political decision to eliminate the organization."

The Council of Europe calls on the Russian authorities to stop liquidating Memorial, and repeal the "foreign agents" law as a matter of priority. Dunja Mijatović, head of the Council of Europe's Commission for Human Rights, said in a statement.

The Council of Europe is deeply concerned at the actions of Russian authorities which have ordered the liquidation of the non-governmental organization Memorial International and the human rights center Memorial for failing to comply with the so-called "foreign agents" law. "Memorial is 'a symbol of the tireless struggle for freedom, democracy and human rights in the former Soviet Union and beyond. The destruction of the organization would have significant negative consequences for civil society in general and the protection of human rights in Russia, Mijatović said.

She again pointed to the Council of Europe's repeated criticism of the law on "foreign agents" as inconsistent with international European standards. In Mijatović's opinion, the Russian authorities' use of the law to shut down a human rights organization is another illustration of repression against civil society. Of particular concern, according to the Council of Europe representative, is the fact that the Memorial Human Rights Center was accused of justifying extremists and terrorists because of its activities in support of political prisoners.