Russia adds Greenpeace to list of ‘undesirable’ organizations

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russia's Justice Ministry on Monday added Greenpeace, a global climate advocacy non-profit, to its list of “undesirable” organizations.

“The Ministry of Justice of Russia has included the international non-governmental non-profit organization Greenpeace International (Stichting Greenpeace Council) (Netherlands) in the list of foreign and international non-governmental organizations whose activities are recognized as undesirable on the territory of the Russian Federation,” the ministry said in a statement.

The move is in accordance with Article 3.1 of the federal law on measures against persons involved in violations of fundamental human rights and freedoms, and the rights and freedoms of Russian citizens, and is based on the decision of the first deputy prosecutor general earlier this month, it added.

On May 19, Russia's Prosecutor General’s office labelled Greenpeace's activities in Russia as “undesirable" for posing "a threat to the foundations of the constitutional order and security of the Russian Federation."

The Russian branch of Greenpeace is forced to close, the environmental group had said after the announcement.