The Open Dialogue Foundation, founded in Poland, has been placed on the list of undesirable organisations in Russia, it was announced on Monday by the Russian Ministry of Justice. “This is an unusual form of recognition of our activities,” commented the organisation, which advocates for human rights and democracy.
“Our management, Lyudmyla Kozlovska, Bartosz Kramek and Marcin Mycielski, face up to 15 years’ imprisonment in Russia for their work at the Open Dialogue Foundation,” reads the organisation’s entry on the X website.
The Foundation, established in Poland in 2009, focuses on activities in the post-Soviet area. “The decision of the Russian authorities is related to the Foundation’s activities in support of Ukraine, including the transfer of more than PLN 40 million worth of humanitarian aid to Kyiv,” stated a note sent by the organisation’s management.
In May 2015, a law was adopted in Russia allowing the authorities to declare foreign and international non-governmental organisations, as well as companies, as undesirable on the territory of the Russian Federation in the event that they pose “a threat to the foundations of the constitutional order of the Russian Federation, the defence capacity of the country or the security of the State”.
Inclusion on the list of undesirable organisations means a ban on any activity in Russia. Violation of the ban is punishable by fines and imprisonment.
Source: dziennik.pl
In other media:
- Onet: Open Dialogue Foundation “undesirable” in Russia (March 26, 2024)
- PolskieRadio24: Russia put a Polish foundation as undesirable. Decision by Ministry of Justice (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)