Human Rights Watch sounds alarm over Agora closure
MOSCOW. Feb 10 (Interfax) - Human rights campaigners have voiced concerns after the Tatarstan Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Russian Justice Ministry's request to shut down the Agora association.
"In this situation, the shutdown of Agora in the lawsuit brought by the Justice Ministry can be seen exclusively as a blow to civil society," Human Rights Watch's Russia Program Director Tatyana Lokshina told Interfax on Wednesday.
Agora is known for campaigning for human-rights and civil activists. It is one of Russia's strongest human rights organizations, which pursues many important legal actions, including very high-profile ones. "Agora lawyers are involved in a number of trials known to be political," Lokshina said.
On Wednesday, the Tatarstan Supreme Court ordered a shutdown of the Agora Inter-Regional Association of Human Rights Public Associations, its lawyer said.
The ruling will be appealed at the Russian Supreme Court, the lawyer said.