The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office has declared the Open Dialogue Foundation, which operates in Poland, undesirable. The independent Mediazona portal wrote that the decision was made on 14 February, but it is only now that the Russian Ministry of Justice has entered the organisation in a special register.
The portal’s journalists did not state what specifically motivated this decision. Martin Mycielski, vice-president of the Foundation, informed in an interview with the Polish Radio that “the decision is the aftermath of the actions of Russian ‘analysts’ who in recent weeks have been trying to ‘work us out’ in a series of articles in the ForeignCombatants.ru website, allegedly linked to special services, which traced our humanitarian missions and the delivery of more than PLN 40 million worth of aid to Ukraine”.
The whole thing began with posts on the Telegram channel “TrackANaziMerc”, which is also linked to special services. Mycielski reported that Russia’s first “official” action against the Foundation was the blocking of the ODF website (the Russian-language subpage of ODF’s website) by Roskomnadzor back in 2020.
The Open Dialogue Foundation was established in Poland in 2009 on the initiative of Lyudmyla Kozlovska, a Ukrainian student and civic activist. It is engaged in the protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law in the post-Soviet area. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, ODF has supported Ukrainian refugees.
In 2015, a law on so-called “undesirable foreign and international organisations” was adopted in Russia. The Kremlin blacklisted all major organisations defending human rights and civil liberties that monitor democratic processes and support the development of civil society.
Inclusion on the list of “undesirable organisations” means a ban on any activity. Violation of the ban is punishable by fines and imprisonment.
Source: polskieradio24.pl
In other media:
- Onet: Open Dialogue Foundation “undesirable” in Russia (March 26, 2024)
- Dziennik: Open Dialogue Foundation on Russian list of undesirable organisations (March 26, 2024)
- WNP: Russia: Poland-based Open Dialogue Foundation listed as undesirable (March 26, 2024)
- i.pl: Open Dialogue Foundation an enemy in Russia. Management under threat of long-term imprisonment (March 26, 2024)
- Polskie Radio: Russia lists Polish foundation as undesirable organisation (March 26, 2024)
- Polskie Radio – English Section: Moscow blacklists a Polish non-profit (March 26, 2024)
- The Odessa Journal: In Russia, the Polish foundation Open Dialogue has been declared “undesirable.” It was involved in providing humanitarian aid to Ukrainian refugees (March 25, 2024)
- Belsat: Polish Open Dialogue Foundation recognized in Russia as “undesirable organisation” (March 25, 2024)
- The Insider: Polish Open Dialogue Foundation deemed an “undesirable organisation” (March 25, 2024)
