RUSSIA BANS HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH AS CRACKDOWN ON DISSENT DEEPENS. (PHOTO).

 Russia bans Human Rights Watch as crackdown on dissent deepens

Russian authorities on Friday formally banned the international watchdog group Human Rights Watch by labeling it an “undesirable organization,” a designation that effectively criminalizes any involvement with the group under a 2015 law. The ruling forces the organization to immediately halt all operations inside Russia and exposes anyone who cooperates with it, donates to it, or publicly supports it to the risk of prosecution, fines, or imprisonment. The move marks another major escalation in the Kremlin’s sweeping campaign to eliminate independent voices and civil society groups that challenge the government’s actions.

The decision, issued by the prosecutor general’s office, comes amid an intensifying crackdown on critics, journalists, activists, and opposition movements that has accelerated dramatically since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In a separate announcement the same day, authorities revealed they had opened a case that could result in the feminist punk band Pussy Riot being designated as an extremist organization, which would criminalize nearly all of its activities and public expression. These actions reflect a broadening effort to silence cultural, political, and advocacy groups that the Kremlin views as threats.

The repression continued on multiple fronts this week. On Thursday, Russia’s Supreme Court labeled the Anti-Corruption Foundation established by the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny as a terrorist organization. The ruling targeted the group’s U.S.-registered entity, which had become its main operating structure after Russian authorities banned its original organization inside the country in 2021. Leaders of the foundation warned that the government’s strategy is to reclassify independent media outlets, human rights organizations, and even small local initiatives as extremist or terrorist groups in order to completely suppress dissent.

In a statement responding to the latest ruling, the foundation said the Kremlin is actively expanding the use of “terrorist” and “extremist” designations as a political tool. It warned that the authorities are systematically redefining peaceful critics as enemies of the state in order to justify arrests, asset seizures, and prison sentences. According to the organization, this approach is being used to shield corruption and sustain Russia’s ongoing military campaign.

Russia’s official list of “undesirable organizations” has now grown to more than 275 groups, including prominent independent media outlets, research institutions, anti-corruption organizations, and environmental advocacy groups. Once added to the list, organizations are barred from operating in Russia, and even informal cooperation—such as sharing reports or offering legal assistance—can carry criminal penalties for Russian citizens.

Human Rights Watch, founded in 1978, conducts investigations into abuses and violations around the world. In recent years, it has been especially critical of Russia’s conduct in Ukraine, including publishing detailed findings alleging that Russian forces used drones to deliberately track, wound, and kill civilians in the Kherson region. The group’s new designation effectively ends what little remaining ability it had to monitor human rights conditions from inside Russia, further isolating the country from international scrutiny.