Russia Bans Amnesty International, Citing “Russophobic Activity” and “Ties to Ukraine”
In a sweeping escalation of its campaign against international civil society, the Russian government has officially banned Amnesty International, designating the renowned human rights watchdog as an “undesirable organization.”
The Gaze reports on this with reference to Politico.
Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office accused Amnesty of acting as a hub for “Russophobic projects” and of supporting Ukraine in the ongoing war, which has entered its second decade. According to the statement, Amnesty allegedly “justifies the crimes of Ukrainian neo-Nazis, lobbies for increased funding to Kyiv, and advocates for Russia’s political and economic isolation.”
The designation, under Russia’s controversial 2015 law on “undesirable organizations,” prohibits Amnesty from any activity on Russian territory and exposes local collaborators to criminal prosecution. This move further deepens the Kremlin’s isolationist trajectory and intensifies repression of foreign and domestic critics.
Amnesty International, which advocates globally for human rights, has played a vocal role in documenting Russian war crimes and human rights violations since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. The organization has consistently called for justice and accountability for Russian actions on Ukrainian soil.
Amnesty’s Moscow office had already been shuttered shortly after the 2022 invasion, part of a broader crackdown on independent organizations. In the years since, Russia has expelled or banned dozens of international NGOs, including Human Rights Watch and the Clooney Foundation for Justice, under laws aimed at silencing dissent and consolidating state control over public discourse.
Analysts view the latest move as part of a broader trend in Russia’s internal policy – one that couples authoritarian domestic governance with aggressive external confrontation. By criminalizing organizations that hold the Kremlin accountable, Russia continues to close off avenues for independent oversight and international engagement.
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