Nobel Committee Condemns Russia’s Move Against Memorial
The nobel committee has condemned Russia’s latest attempt to brand Memorial an extremist organisation, warning that the human rights group’s work could be pushed further into illegality. The statement came on Wednesday as Russia’s Supreme Court is expected to examine a petition from the Ministry of Justice on Thursday in Moscow. The move targets Memorial, a co-winner of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, and raises the risk of prison terms and fines for anyone linked to its work.
Memorial Faces Another Legal Blow
, Jorgen Watne Frydnes, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said the committee was “deeply alarmed by the Russian authorities’ latest attempts to destroy Memorial” by seeking to designate it as an extremist organisation. He said that if the petition is upheld, “all activities of Memorial will be criminalised. ”
The committee said anyone taking part in Memorial’s work, funding it, or even sharing its published materials would risk imprisonment. It also called on the Russian authorities to immediately withdraw the claim and stop all harassment of Memorial and its members. The nobel committee framed the step as a direct attack on human dignity and freedom of expression.
What the Court Could Decide
The Ministry of Justice petition would add Memorial to Russia’s list of undesirable entities, a designation that would ban the organisation from operating in the country. The context around the case is severe: Memorial has already been declared a foreign agent, and Russia’s Supreme Court ordered it dissolved at the end of 2021.
Memorial was established in 1987 and focuses on documenting human rights abuses in Russia. Before it was banned, it built a network of about 50 organisations across Russia and beyond its borders, with some branches in Germany, France and Italy still operating. The nobel committee’s intervention underscores how closely the case is being watched beyond Russia.
Immediate Reaction From The Nobel Committee
Frydnes said the latest petition would amount to an affront to the fundamental values of human dignity and freedom of expression. His statement placed Memorial’s case at the center of a wider struggle over independent monitoring of abuses and the treatment of rights defenders in Russia.
Several Memorial leaders have already faced criminal proceedings. Oleg Orlov, one of those leaders, was freed in a prisoner exchange in 2024 after being imprisoned for speaking out against the Ukraine war, and is now working outside Russia to continue documenting human rights abuses.
What Comes Next For Memorial
The immediate focus now turns to Thursday’s hearing at Russia’s Supreme Court and whether the Justice Ministry petition is upheld. If it is, the pressure on Memorial would intensify sharply, with the nobel committee warning that even routine support for the group could become punishable. For Memorial, the next step may determine not only its legal status, but the survival of its remaining work inside and outside Russia.
