Russia bans Amnesty International as an 'undesirable organisation'
Russian authorities have outlawed Amnesty International, meaning involvement with the human rights group is now a criminal offence.
The decision by the prosecutor general's office is the latest crackdown on Kremlin critics, journalists and activists that intensified after Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
In its statement, the office said that Amnesty International was a "centre for the preparation of global Russophobic projects", and accused it of advocating on behalf of Ukraine.
The designation means the group must stop any work in Russia, and anyone who cooperates or supports it could face prosecution.
Amnesty did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Founded in 1961 and headquartered in London, Amnesty International campaigns for human rights across the world, including on behalf of those it designates prisoners of conscience.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Are the surprise airfield attacks a turning point for Ukraine?
Three days on, and Ukraine is still digesting the full implications of Operation Spider's Web, Sunday's massive assault on Russia's strategic Wednesday, the agency which orchestrated the attack, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), released additional, vivid footage of the attacks in progress, as well as tantalising glimpses into how the whole complex operation was images that have emerged since Sunday, showing the wrecked outlines of planes sitting on the tarmac at the Olenya, Ivanovo, Dyagilevo and Belaya airbases, also help tell the story of the operation's unprecedented Ukrainian observers, the whole operation, a year-and-a -half in the making, remains a marvel."This can be considered one of the most brilliant operations in our history," Roman Pohorlyi, founder of the DeepState, a group of Ukrainian military analysts, told me."We've shown that we can be strong, we can be creative and we can destroy our enemies no matter how far away they are."It's important to note that almost all the information that has emerged since Sunday has been released by the SBU with its own success, it is keen to cast the operation in the best possible light. Its information campaign has been helped by the fact that the Kremlin has said almost to the media on Wednesday after handing out medals to SBU officers involved in the operation, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky repeated the claim that 41 aircraft had been damaged or destroyed."Half of them cannot be restored," he said, "and some will take years to repair, if they can be restored at all."Had a ceasefire been in place, he added, Operation Spider's Web would not have happened. Putin will seek revenge for Ukraine drone attack, warns TrumpSatellite images show Russian bombers destroyed in Ukraine attackHow Ukraine carried out daring 'Spider Web' attack on Russian bombers The latest four-minute compilation released by the SBU shows a number of key from the perspective of some of the 117 drones involved, we see Russian strategic bombers, transport aircraft and airborne warning and control (AWACS) being hunted can be seen raging on a number of stricken the first time, we get glimpses under the wings of some of the bombers, revealing that they were already armed with cruise missiles, which Russia has used to devastating effect in its air raids on drones, many flown remotely by a separate pilot, sitting far away in Ukraine, are carefully and precisely aimed at vulnerable points, including fuel tanks located in the of the resulting fireballs also suggest the tanks were full of fuel, ready for take off. One significant section of the video shows drones homing in on two Beriev A-50s, giant AWACS aircraft first produced in the Soviet all the aircraft targeted by Operation Spider's Web, the A-50, with its radar capable of seeing targets and threats more than 600km (372 miles) away, is arguably the most the full-scale invasion in 2022, Russia was thought to operate around nine A-50s. Before last Sunday, as many as three had been shot down or damaged in an earlier drone latest footage strongly implies that drones hit the circular radar domes of the two A-50s parked at the Ivanovo Severny airbase, north-east of since the video feed cuts out at the moment of impact, this is hard to completely imagery, which clearly displays the wreckage of numerous bombers, is inconclusive when it comes to the Russia's fleet of these crucial aircraft could now be down to as few as four."Restarting production of the A-50 is presently highly unlikely, due to difficulties with import substitution and the destruction of production facilities," defence analyst Serhii Kuzan told me."As such, every loss of this type of aircraft constitutes a strategic problem for Russia, one it cannot quickly compensate for." Earlier on Wednesday, the SBU offered a brief glimpse into another of Sunday's remarkable features: the use of specially constructed containers, mounted on flatbed trucks, to transport armed drones to sites close to the four Russian videos show a truck carrying what appear to be two wooden mobile homes, complete with windows and one video, roof panels are clearly visible. Reports suggest these were retracted or otherwise removed shortly before the attacks began, allowing dozens of drones stored inside to take not known when or where the videos were filmed, although snow visible beside the road in one suggests it could have been weeks or months another video, posted on a Russian Telegram channel on Sunday, a police officer was seen entering the back of one of the containers in the wake of the later, the container exploded, suggesting it may have been booby-trapped. How to assess the impact of such a spectacular operation?"From a military point of view, this is a turning point in the war," aviation expert Anatolii Khrapchynskyi told me."Because we have dealt a significant blow to Russia's image and the capabilities of the Russian Federation."A little over three months after Donald Trump berated Volodymyr Zelensky, telling him he had "no cards," Ukraine has offered an emphatic riposte."Ukraine has shown the whole world that Russia is actually weak and cannot defend itself internally," Khrapchynskyi that doesn't mean that Russia is about to change his latest conversation with Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump said the two leaders had discussed Ukraine's attacks."It was a good conversation," President Trump posted on Truth Social, "but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace.""President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields."
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Western democracies have a duty to resist growing Russian aggression
SIR – Beyond the finances not adding up, which appears to be a feature of all Labour policy, the other thing that struck me about the Strategic Defence Review (report, June 4) was its leisurely response to what it acknowledged to be a present and growing threat. Surely the best answer to Russian aggression towards Europe is to increase support to Ukraine now, giving it everything we can without restrictions on use, while properly ramping up full sanctions and other deterrent actions against Russia. Russia is now weaker than it has been for some time, thanks to the extraordinary efforts of Ukraine. We in Western Europe have a moral obligation to defend Ukraine and other nations from repeated Russian aggression. Hopefully, at the same time, we may ultimately help Russia towards a better future, and deter China from resorting to conflict. Colonel Ronnie Bradford (retd) Vienna, Austria SIR – Your Leading Article (June 4) draws attention to the fact that the Prime Minister declined to set a firm date for when the defence budget would increase to 3 per cent of GDP. This gives rise to two concerns. Will 3 per cent be enough, when Nato is poised to set a new target for members to spend 5 per cent? And, given the obvious urgency of the matter, why will this happen only in the next parliament? Brigadier Rod Brummitt (retd) Bournemouth, Dorset SIR – I read your Leading Article (June 4) with incredulity. You write that 'Sir Keir dismissed calls to set specific spending targets as 'performative fantasy politics' '. When I served during the Cold War period, we mustered four armoured divisions – each of three brigades – in Germany, as well as substantial UK Land Forces and a Territorial Army of several thousand. Now, as Lewis Page has written (Comment, June 1), the Army's sole war-fighting division, which is supposed to have three brigades, is actually a two-brigade force with enough equipment for just one. As you say, 'If the deployments needed for the next two or three decades are to be met, then commitments have to be made now.' As it is, what threat does the Government believe we can deter? Lt Col Jeremy Moger (retd) Hazelbury Bryan, Dorset SIR – John Healey, the Defence Secretary, talks about a 10-year plan to get Britain ready for war (report, June 2), in the face of 'growing Russian aggression'. Does he really think that Vladimir Putin is going to wait that long? He added that the Strategic Defence Review would send a 'message to Moscow'. Mr Healey publicises his plans, while Putin hides his. It isn't hard to see who is likely to be the winner. Mick Ferrie Mawnan Smith, Cornwall
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Four men ‘torched Ukrainian-owned firm in UK on behalf of Russia's Wagner Group'
FOUR men accused of torching a Ukrainian-owned firm in the UK did so on behalf of Russia's Wagner Group, a court has heard. Goods including Starlink satellite equipment were being sent out to Kyiv from the targeted industrial estate unit. Around £1million in damage was caused when it was set alight in Leyton, East London, in March last year. Paul English, 61, Nii Kojo Mensah, 23, Jakeem Barrington Rose, 23, and Ugnius Asmena, 20, are said to have started the blaze. The Old Bailey was told that CCTV placed them driving to the scene in English's Kia Picanto. Jurors heard Rose and Mensah were seen climbing a wall to approach the warehouse, while Mensah also livestreamed the arson. Prosecutor Duncan Penny, KC, said they were paid agents motivated by 'good old-fashioned greed'. He added: 'They did not act alone . . . they were recruited by and directed by two others who have since admitted their role in the aggravated arson. 'This was deliberate and calculated criminality at the behest of foreign influence.' Vladimir Putin -controlled Wagner Group. The four deny aggravated arson. The trial continues. Full devastation of Op Spiderweb revealed as new pics show Putin's jets in RUINS after drone blitz 1
