The Russian Ministry of Justice has classified the NGO Reporters Without Borders, headquartered in France and defending press freedom around the world, as an “undesirable” organization, which prevents it from acting in Russian territory.
According to information from The Moscow Times, no justification has been given to the measure. The inclusion of Reporters Without Borders on the list of “undesirable” organizations of the Russian Ministry of Justice took place on June 27, but the designation only appeared on the folder’s website on Thursday (14).
By Russian law, people affiliated with “undesirable” organizations can be sentenced to penalties of up to four years in prison, while leaders of these organizations can take up to six years.
“By classifying the RSF-an NGO that defends journalism-as an undesirable organization, Kremlin’s message is clear. He continues his crusade to silence all the voices that expose his censorship and propaganda. But that will not silence us,” said Thibaut Bruttin, director-general of Reporters Without Borders, in a statement.
“In a way, being added to this list of about 250 organizations is an honor for RSF. The absence of justification suggests that the decision is a recognition of all RSF’s work, from the exiltration of Russian journalists to satellite transmissions of Svoboda,” he added.
Bruttin referred to the help that Reporters Without Borders provided for persecuted journalists to leave Russia (case of Ekaterina Barabash, who could take up to ten years in prison for criticism of the Russian army) and the Satellite project, which transmits independent information to 4.5 million Russian households and approximately 800,000 in the occupied regions of Ukraine.
