Ambassadors of the European Union Member States in Russia met with representatives of the International Memorial and the Memorial Human Rights Centre to express their[...]

On 22 November, Ambassadors of the European Union Member States in Russia met with Sergey Krivenko, Member of the Board of the International Historical Educational Charitable and Human Rights Society Memorial (International Memorial), Anna Dobrovolskaya, Executive Director of the Memorial Human Rights Centre, and Sergey Davidis, Member of the Council of the Memorial Human Rights Centre. The meeting was organised in the light of the upcoming court hearings related to a decision to request liquidation of both organisations.

Participants of the meeting reiterated their solidarity with and support to the International Memorial and the Memorial Human Rights Centre in these challenging circumstances. They have been and remain an important independent voice in the Russian civil society dedicated to the protection of human rights and the history of political repression in Russia. The memory and study of the past is an investment and contribution to the future.

High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell has previously called upon Russian authorities to reverse this decision and stop the unabated crackdown on civil society and independent media. The Memorial is an internationally respected NGO and one of the oldest in Russia. Its activities remain central to the defence of human rights and serve as a bulwark against attempts to manipulate the historical memory of political repression. Understanding the atrocities of the past is a value that must enjoy support and protection. The dismantling of Memorial would be an irreplaceable loss for the Russian people and the rest of Europe.