Open Russia movement head announces decision to liquidate organization
MOSCOW. May 27 (Interfax) - The Open Russia movement (a British-based organization with the same name has been designated as unwelcome in Russia by the Prosecutor General's Office) will cease its operations and will shut down its offices in all regions, Open Russia Executive Director Andrei Pivovarov said.
"Open Russia is fully ceasing its activity. We are shutting down regional offices. All movement members have been expelled from the organization, and their membership has been annulled in order to avoid possible prosecution," Pivovarov told Interfax on Thursday.
"The State Duma is preparing to tighten Article 284.1 of the Russian Criminal Code. We don't need new fines or criminal cases and want to protect our supporters," he said.
Open Russia was founded in 2001 at the initiative of Mikhail Khodorkovsky.