Effectively Banned from Operating in Russia as the 243rd "Undesirable Organization"
Russian Opposition Figure Alexei Navalny, Who Died in Prison, Also Mentioned
The Russian Ministry of Justice has designated three foreign organizations, including the prestigious American university Yale, as "undesirable organizations."
According to Yonhap News on the 11th (local time), the Russian Ministry of Justice announced on its official website that it had added Yale University, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, and the Ukrainian charity "Army SOS" to the list of "undesirable organizations" among foreign and international non-governmental organizations.
Organizations included on this list are effectively banned from operating within Russia. Individuals who cooperate with these organizations may also face criminal prosecution.
Previously, on the 8th, Russian prosecutors had warned that Yale University was engaging in activities "undermining Russia's territorial integrity and causing political, social, and economic instability," and signaled that this measure would be taken. As a result, Yale's activities in Russia were immediately suspended.
Additionally, prosecutors claimed that Yale University has consistently maintained a hostile attitude toward Russia. They also criticized Yale for allegedly being involved in establishing international arguments to use Russian assets frozen in Western countries to support Ukraine.
In particular, Alexei Navalny, a Russian opposition figure who died in a Siberian prison in February last year, was mentioned. Navalny studied political science at Yale University.
Prosecutors raised concerns that Russian students who graduated from Yale University led protest activities of the Anti-Corruption Foundation, which was founded by Navalny.
Meanwhile, Russia's state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported that, as a result of this measure, the total number of organizations classified as "undesirable" has reached 243. The list currently includes prominent independent media outlets and human rights organizations.
Since launching the "special military operation" against Ukraine in 2022, Russia has faced criticism for taking similar actions against numerous international organizations, including the environmental group Greenpeace, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the US government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), and the British Council.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
