Memorial International says searches ongoing at its Moscow office

MOSCOW. March 4 (Interfax) - Searches are being conducted at the Moscow office of the Memorial International Historical, Educational, Charitable, and Human Rights Society (designated as a foreign agent NGO in Russia and liquidated) on Friday, the organization's press service said.

"Some sort of investigative group is working here. Employees are not being allowed to enter," the organization told Interfax.

The office is located on Karetny Ryad Street in the center of Moscow.

Searches are also in progress at the office of the Memorial human rights center (designated in Russia as a foreign agent NGO), according to its Telegram channel.

The press service could not say which law enforcement agency is conducting the searches.

On December 28 and December 29, 2021, the Russian Supreme Court and the Moscow City Court granted lawsuits from the Prosecutor General's Office and the Moscow Prosecutor's Office demanding that the Memorial international historical and educational society and the Memorial human rights center, also declared a foreign agent in Russia, be shut down.

On February 28, the appeals panel for administrative cases of the Russian Supreme Court upheld the ruling to liquidate the Memorial International Historical, Educational, Charitable, and Human Rights Society.