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Russia shuts down human rights group Sakharov Center

2023-08-18 16:47:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Russia shuts down human rights group Sakharov Center

A Russian court on Friday closed the Sakharov Center, a well-known organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of Nobel Prize-winning physicist and human rights activist Andrei Sakharov, writes DW .

The closure of the human rights group is seen as part of the Kremlin's campaign to crack down on liberal-leaning organizations that challenge official narratives, including those about Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine.

The Moscow City Court said in a statement that it had decided to liquidate the Sakharov Center at the request of the Ministry of Justice for illegally holding conferences and exhibitions.

Since its creation in 1996, the group has organized hundreds of debates, exhibitions and other events. In 2015, thousands of people gathered there to pay their last respects to opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, who was assassinated near the Kremlin walls.

Authorities declared the group a "foreign agent" in 2014 and this year ordered the center's eviction from its premises.

Who was Andrei Sakharov?
Andrei Sakharov, who died in 1989, was a key figure in the development of the Soviet Union's hydrogen bomb program, but later became known for his activism in promoting human rights and freedom of conscience.

He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1975, but was not allowed to travel to Norway to receive it. In 1980, he was sent to internal exile, which lasted six years.

Russia shuts down human rights group Sakharov Center

In 1988, the European Parliament established the Sakharov Prize, an honorary award for individuals or groups who have dedicated their lives to the protection of human rights and freedom of thought.

The organization founded in his honor ran the museum and archives of the Sakharov Center in Moscow./ CNA





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