One UK, 6 U.S. NGOs linked to Falun Gong designated undesirable in Russia
MOSCOW. July 20 (Interfax) - Seven foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs), six U.S. and one UK NGO, have been designated as undesirable in Russia following inspections carried out by the Russian Prosecutor General's Office.
"As a result of a study of the materials received by the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation, a decision was adopted to designate the activities of the following foreign non-governmental organizations as undesirable on the territory of the Russian Federation: World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong Inc. (WOIPFG, U.S.) Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong in China (U.S.), Global Mission to Rescue Persecuted Falun Gong Practitioners Inc. (GMRPFGP, U.S.), Friends of Falun Gong Inc. (U.S.), Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting (DAFON, U.S.), Dragon Springs Buddhist Inc. (U.S.), and The European Falun Dafa Association (UK)," the Prosecutor General's Office told Interfax.
Prosecutors concluded that these organizations' activities pose a threat to Russia's security.
Information about this decision has been forwarded to the Russian Justice Ministry, which will add the relevant data to the list of foreign and international NGOs designated as undesirable in Russia and will publish it.
The Justice Ministry's list currently includes 22 foreign NGOs recognized as undesirable in Russia.
The Falun Gong organization was outlawed in China in 1999. Chinese authorities view it as a totalitarian sect.