The Norwegian Helsinki Committee has been designated an “undesirable organisation”

On 24 June, the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office declared the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (Den norske Helsingforskomité) an “undesirable organisation.” This was announced on 3 July by State Duma deputy Andrei Lugovoi on his Telegram channel.

The request to the prosecutor’s office was previously submitted by Lugovoi himself. According to the deputy, the organisation was spreading disinformation by reporting on crimes committed by the Russian army in Chechnya and Ukraine, the detention and torture of LGBTQ people, and political persecution in occupied Crimea.

• The Norwegian Helsinki Committee is a non-governmental human rights organisation founded in 1977 in Norway to monitor compliance with human rights in European countries, Eurasia and Central Asia. The Committee was created after the signing of the 1975 Helsinki Accords, which committed signatory states to respect fundamental human rights and freedoms. The organisation collects information about human rights violations, prepares analytical reports, engages in educational activities, and promotes international human rights cooperation. The Committee pays particular attention to supporting civil society, protecting minority rights, and safeguarding freedom of expression.