On Tuesday, Russia’s Supreme Court dissolved Memorial International for distorting history in its compilation of Soviet era atrocities.
“The dissolution is a violation of fundamental freedoms to which Russia has committed itself,” read a statement by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) on Twitter on Wednesday.
The organisation, which has existed since 1989, was commended for its “invaluable independent historical and educational work about the Gulag and Soviet political repression”.
On Wednesday, sister organisation Memorial Human Rights Centre was also dissolved by the Supreme Court for violating a controversial law which requires groups receiving funds from abroad to declare themselves as “foreign agents”. The group tracks human rights violations in contemporary Russia, including political prosecutions of Vladimir Putin’s opponents.
Shades of the past
The two dissolutions on Tuesday and Wednesday mark a new level in the all-out crackdown on voices critical of the Kremlin. The year 2021 was marked by the imprisonment of the Kremlin’s main opponent, Alexei Navalny, and the banning of his movement for “extremism”, but also the designation of numerous NGOs, independent media or individuals as “agents of foreigners”.
This classification, which is reminiscent of the “enemy of the people” classification in the Soviet era, forces the targeted individuals or entities to undergo tedious administrative procedures and to mention this status in each of their publications.
The deteriorating situation for Russian civil society was also touched upon by Switzerland.
“Switzerland calls on Russia to reverse the increasing restrictions on civil society,” said the FDFA statement.
Doctors Without Borders demands Swiss Gaza clarification
This content was published on
The NGO Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has challenged Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis to explain his controversial Gaza statements.
Data centres use four times more electricity than average
This content was published on
The power consumption of data centres, used in particular for AI, is four times higher than average, warns the International Telecommunication Union.
One in five bee colonies failed to survive Swiss winter
This content was published on
Almost a fifth of bee colonies in Switzerland failed to survive the winter. Losses have been greater than in previous years.
Switzerland condemns deadly attack on UN convoy in Sudan
This content was published on
Switzerland has strongly condemned the deadly attack on a United Nations humanitarian convoy in Sudan. Five people were killed, wrote the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) on Platform X.
Most over-65s in Switzerland regularly use the internet
This content was published on
The digital divide is narrowing faster than expected in Switzerland. A study published on Wednesday reveals that nine out of ten over-65s use the internet.
Will Swiss president be forbidden from speaking English to counterparts?
This content was published on
Switzerland's president, Karin Keller-Sutter, should use one of the country's four national languages when communicating with international organisations, and not English, according to a motion that passed on Wednesday.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.