Russia Bans Amnesty International, Accuses Group of ‘Russophobia’ and Backing Ukraine
Russia has officially banned Amnesty International, labelling the global human rights watchdog an “undesirable organisation” over its alleged support for Ukraine and what Moscow calls a campaign of “Russophobia.”
In a statement Monday, Russia’s Prosecutor General accused Amnesty’s London headquarters of being a “centre for the preparation of global Russophobic projects,” claiming the organisation fuels military tensions in Ukraine and justifies alleged Ukrainian war crimes.
“Amnesty International has done everything possible to intensify the military confrontation,” the statement read, while accusing the group of pushing for Russia’s isolation on the world stage.
Founded in 1961, Amnesty International has long campaigned for the rights of prisoners of conscience and those facing political repression worldwide. The organisation swiftly condemned the Kremlin’s move.
“You must be doing something right if the Kremlin bans you,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty’s Secretary General. “This decision is part of Russia’s broader crackdown on dissent and civil society.”
“We will redouble our efforts to expose Russia’s egregious human rights abuses, both at home and abroad,” she added. “We will not be silenced.”
Under Russian law, entities designated as “undesirable” face severe restrictions. Russian citizens who cooperate with or fund such organisations risk up to five years in prison. The ban comes three years after Russian authorities blocked Amnesty’s websites and effectively shuttered its Moscow office.
Russia has previously banned other major international organisations, including Greenpeace and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, accusing them of undermining national security.
Amnesty called the legal basis for the ban a violation of international law, while Moscow insists its legislation supersedes foreign norms. Russian authorities maintain that Western rights groups are biased, politicised, and part of an “information war” aimed at destabilising the country.
Human rights advocates argue that the ban is yet another sign of shrinking freedoms under President Vladimir Putin, whose rule since 1999 has seen increasing repression of dissent and civil liberties.
“The hopes for freedom that emerged after the fall of the Soviet Union have been crushed,” rights groups say, as Russia tightens its grip on independent voices.
