Russian Federation : Designation of Amnesty International as “undesirable organisation”

The Observatory has been informed about the designation of Amnesty International, a renowned international human rights organisation, as an “undesirable organisation” by the Russian authorities. In the last years, Amnesty International has undertaken crucial work to document and ensure accountability for the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Russian armed forces in Ukraine, and has taken a vocal stance on Russia’s crackdown on dissenting voices inside the country.

On 19 May 2025, the Russian Prosecutor’s General Office announced that it had declared Amnesty International an “undesirable organisation”, accusing the organisation of being a “center for the preparation of global Russophobic projects" and “justifying the crimes of Ukrainian neo-Nazis”.

The designation as “undesirable” effectively bans Amnesty International’s activities in Russia, exposing anyone affiliated with, supporting, or even disseminating information from the organisation to significant risks of administrative liability and prosecution. Previously, shortly after the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the authorities had closed down Amnesty International’s Moscow Office, and blocked access to its website.

The Observatory recalls that under the repressive law on “undesirable organisations”, adopted in 2015 and further tightened in 2021 and 2024, the Prosecutor General’s Office, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has the power to declare as “undesirable” any foreign or international organisation that is deemed “a threat to the foundations of the constitutional order of the Russian Federation, the defense capability of the country or the security of the state”.

“Undesirable organisations” are banned from engaging in any activities inside Russia, including the publication or dissemination of any information, carrying out financial transactions, and providing financial or other assistance to local organisations and individuals. The “participation in the activities” of an organisation declared “undesirable” leads to administrative liability and fines of up to 15,000 Russian rubles (about 167 Euros), under Article 20.33 of Russian Code of Administrative Offences. In practice, the vague wording of the law has led to the punishment of individuals simply for reposting information disseminated by an “undesirable organisation” on social media platforms, even if the original posts predated the organisation's designation as “undesirable”.

Additionally, repeated violations lead to criminal liability of up to four years of imprisonment, while those donating to or managing an organisation declared “undesirable” face up to four and six years of imprisonment, respectively (Article 284.1 of Russian Penal Code). Any Russian citizen or organisation cooperating with an “undesirable organisation”, even if residing outside Russia, faces administrative penalties and, in the case of individuals, criminal liability.

The list of “undesirable organisations”, maintained by the Russian Ministry of Justice, currently features over 200 organisations, including leading independent media outlets and human rights organisations.

The Observatory condemns in the strongest terms the designation of Amnesty International as an “undesirable organisation”, which constitutes a blatant attempt to retaliate against the organisation for its leading role in promoting accountability for the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Russian armed forces in Ukraine, and for its vocal stance on Russia’s crackdown against dissenting voices.

It is also an attempt to further intimidate and punish Russian citizens cooperating with independent civil society organisations, and to further restrict the access of Russian nationals inside the country to independent and reliable information about Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The Observatory urges the Russian authorities to immediately reverse the decision and to respect in all circumstances the right to freedom of association, ensuring that human rights organisations, including foreign and international NGOs, are able to carry out their legitimate activities without any hindrance and fear of reprisals.

The Observatory also urges the international community to stand in solidarity with Amnesty International and all human rights defenders in Russia.