Russia has closed a prominent human rights group in an effort to silence voices critical of President Vladimir Putin.
Memorial is the country’s most leading human rights group established to investigate crimes during the Stalinist era.
The prominent rights group has emerged as a staunch defender of Russia’s post-Soviet freedoms.
Memorial affirmed that it had been notified by supreme court that prosecutors had filed a demand to dissolve the group.
The court said that the group has allegedly violated the controversial “foreign agents” act.
“This is a political decision to destroy the Memorial Society, an organisation dedicated to the history of political repression and the protection of human rights.”
“We stated that local authorities use the law as a tool to crack down on independent organisations,” Memorial further said.
Russia has earlier expelled a Dutch newspaper reported for what it called “administrative violations”.
The incident is Moscow’s second move against a member of the Western media in three months.
The decision came in retaliation for what it called London’s discrimination against Russian journalists working in Britain.
However, Russia’s state TV says the move came a response to London’s refusal to renew or issue visas to Russian journalists in Britain.
“The expulsion of Sarah Rainsford is our symmetrical response,” it further said.
