The Kremlin continues to pursue dissidents

Raids at more than ten addresses are taking place among the employees of the liquidated and recognized as an alien “Memorial” in the case of rehabilitating Nazism, SK said. “Right now, searches have come to several addresses of Memorial employees in Moscow. Attorneys have been called in”, - states a message from the liquidated non-profit organization. According to them, searches are taking place, inter alia, at the former chairman of the board of the organization Yana Rachelskaya. The investigative actions are being carried out within the framework of a criminal case on Nazi rehabilitation on the Internet (para “v” part 2 art. 354 of the Criminal Code of Russia), which was opened on March 3rd against unidentified persons. They are accused that the names of three people appear in lists with victims of political terror. One of them was sentenced to labor camps for work in a German police camp. Two others were convicted for treason to their homeland by servicemen (art. 58-1 CC RSFSR).

International historical, human rights, and charitable society “Memorial” is a non-governmental organization created to investigate political repression in the USSR. “Memorial” was formed in 1987, based on the historical-educational section of the “Democratic Transformation” club, at the end of the 1980s. Academician Andrei Sakharov became the leader of “Memorial”. “Memorial” actively worked during the Chechen wars and collected and verified information about violations and military crimes committed by Russian and pro-Russian forces against civilians. On the eve of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in December 2021, a court in Russia adopted a decision on the forced liquidation of “Memorial” and its closure in February 2022. In 2022, “Memorial” was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Attempts to rehabilitate members of the organization in Nazism correspond to the Kremlin’s traditional interpretation of the very concept of “Nazism”. In the understanding of the Russian authorities and state propaganda, “Nazism” is all that conflicts with the situational interests of the Russian authorities.