MINISTRY OF JUSTICE SEEKS TO CLOSE HUMAN RIGHTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 000923

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/30/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL PINR RS
SUBJECT: MINISTRY OF JUSTICE SEEKS TO CLOSE HUMAN RIGHTS
RESEARCH CENTER

REF: MOSCOW 00861

Classified By: Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs Kirk Augustine.
Reasons: 1.4(B/D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) said publicly
on January 27 that it is seeking to revoke the registration
of the Russian Human Rights Research Center, which allegedly
failed to provide required documentation about its activities
in recent years. Center officials and other human rights
activists deny the charge and plan to fight it in court. The
announcement comes as NGOs are still reacting to accusations
of NGO involvement in spying for the UK and other Kremlin
moves aimed at bringing independent organizations to heel.
END SUMMARY.


2. (U) The MOJ stated on January 27 that it was seeking to
revoke the registration of the Moscow-based Russian Human
Rights Research Center. According to the MOJ, the Center had
failed over the last five years to provide information about
its activities, as required by law. According to press
reports, GOR officials indicated that last year, over eight
hundred such cases were filed; three hundred resulted in
revocation, and some four hundred had yet to be resolved.
The case is expected to go to trial on February 27 in
Moscow's Basmanniy Court.


3. (C) The Center, founded in 1992, is an umbrella
organization that brings together prominent NGOs, including
the Moscow Helsinki Group (MHG),the Union of Soldiers'
Mothers (SM),and the Independent Psychiatric Association of
Russia. Center Director Lyubov Vinogradova publicly stated
that the suit is groundless and that it reflects the
Kremlin's growing pressure on independent NGOs. Grigoriy
Shvedov, a member of Memorial (which is not affiliated with
the Center),told us January 30 that after learning of the
charges, Center officials checked their records and concluded
that they had filed all necessary paperwork. According to
Shvedov, the Center had encountered problems even before the
latest move, with MOJ officials refusing to allow it to
change the composition of its Board of Directors on January

10.


4. (C) Soldiers' Mothers head Valentina Melnikova told us on
January 30 that her organization was taking the situation
very seriously, particularly because two SM projects could be
affected by the Center's closure. Melnikova said that her
organization would help the Center fight the case in court.
.
COMMENT
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5. (C) The GOR has recently gone after several of Russia's
leading independent human rights organizations, most notably
by accusing the Moscow Helsinki Group and the Eurasia
Foundation, among others, of involvement with UK espionage
(reftel). These latest charges provide further evidence that
the GOR plans to keep "political" NGOs under a tight rein.
The fact that the case will be heard in the Basmanniy Court,
which has a reputation for doing the Kremlin's bidding, bodes
ill for the Center. Acknowledging that the current political
climate worsens the Center's prospects, human rights
activists nonetheless hope they can fight off the charges by
demonstrating that the Center provided the required
documentation.

BURNS