The Russian Justice orders the dissolution of the Helsinki Moscow Group, the oldest human rights NGO in Russia

The Urban Court of Moscow ruled this Wednesday in favor of the liquidation of the Moscow Helsinki Groupthe oldest human rights organization in Russia, at the request of the Ministry of Justice, according to the independent portal Mediazona.

The trial against the well-known NGO had begun this Wednesday and the sentence was read only six hours later.

The Russian Ministry of Justice called for the liquidation of the Moscow Helsinki Group in December 2022 for extending its activities “outside its region”, that is, the Russian capital.

A representative for the prosecution said at the trial that the violations were not remediable and that the ministry considered the punishment appropriate.

The NGO, founded in the 1970s, rejected the reasons put forward by Justice and asked to dismiss the appeal.

“The claims being made are absurd. Human rights are extraterritorial,” said Valeri Borschev of Moscow’s Helsinki Group.

Once the ruling was known, the group announced that it will appeal its liquidation before higher courts.

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