Russia banned Amnesty International on Monday by classing it as an "undesirable organisation" for backing Ukraine against Russia, drawing a rebuke from the group which said it would redouble efforts to expose Russian human rights abuses.
Founded in 1961 and headquartered in London, Amnesty International campaigns for human rights across the world, including on behalf of those it designates prisoners of conscience.
Russia's prosecutor general said that Amnesty International Limited's London office was a "centre for the preparation of global Russophobic projects", and accused it of advocating on behalf of Ukraine, with which Russia is at war.
The Russian prosecutor said Amnesty International had done "everything possible to intensify the military confrontation in the region" while justifying the alleged crimes of Ukraine and seeking the isolation of Russia.
"You must be doing something right if the Kremlin bans you," Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard said in a statement. "This decision is part of the Russian government's broader effort to silence dissent and isolate civil society."
"We will redouble our efforts to expose Russia's egregious human rights violations both at home and abroad," Callamard said. "Amnesty will never give up or back down in its fight for upholding human rights in Russia and beyond."
Russia regularly designates organisations it says undermine its national security as "undesirable". The designation mandates penalties of up to five years in prison for Russian citizens working with or funding designated groups.
Organisations previously banned as undesirable include U.S. government-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and international environmental organisation Greenpeace.
Amnesty said that the Russian law under which the designation was made itself violates international law, and said the move came three years after Moscow blocked access to Amnesty International's websites.
Russia says that Western human rights groups give biased and factually inaccurate assessments of Russia, ignore abuses in the West, and are essentially pawns in a wider Western information war being waged against Moscow.
Rights groups say such accusations are absurd and that the hopes for liberty which accompanied the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union have been smashed under Russian President Vladimir Putin, who rose to power in 1999.
in Russia and effectively closed down its office in Moscow. Russia says its laws have legal primacy.
Senior Russian officials have condemned the United States’ recent military strikes on Iran, warning of a spiralling regional conflict and accusing U.S. President Donald Trump of igniting a "new war" that could backfire by strengthening Iran's leadership.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia handed over 21 bodies in a recent exchange—20 of them were Russian soldiers, and one a foreign mercenary.
Uzbekistan’s Uzatom Agency and Russia’s Rosatom signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly develop radiation processing technologies for medical and agricultural sectors.
Seven Baltic and Nordic countries asked on Friday to ban Russian soldiers from entering the Schengen zone.
The Kremlin said on Friday it could not predict whether Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump would meet in person this year, citing the increasingly unpredictable nature of global affairs.
Gulf states hosting major U.S. military bases were placed on high alert Sunday after American airstrikes destroyed Iran’s main nuclear sites, raising fears of regional retaliation and a broader conflict that could engulf key energy exporters and destabilise global security.
Senior Russian officials have condemned the United States’ recent military strikes on Iran, warning of a spiralling regional conflict and accusing U.S. President Donald Trump of igniting a "new war" that could backfire by strengthening Iran's leadership.
The United States has clarified that its recent military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities were not intended to overthrow the Iranian government, but to neutralise what it described as urgent threats to national security, amid rising tensions and fears of broader regional conflict.
Iran's top security body, the SNSC, will decide on closing the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil and gas chokepoint, after parliament's reported approval. A Revolutionary Guards commander stated the measure is "on the agenda," signaling escalating tensions.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday voiced deep concern over the escalating tensions following the United States’ military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, calling on all sides to prioritize diplomacy over confrontation.
Iranian missiles struck multiple locations across Israel and neighbouring regions early Friday morning, including a Microsoft office complex, according to emergency responders and local media reports.
A high-speed tram derailment in central Gothenburg, Sweden, has left at least eight people injured late on Thursday (19 June), after the vehicle slammed into a snack bar on Avenyn Avenue.
China has unveiled a mosquito-sized bionic drone designed for covert military operations and battlefield reconnaissance, marking a major advance in micro-robotics and stealth technology as part of the country’s growing focus on next-generation warfare capabilities.
The 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit was held June 15–17 in Kananaskis, Alberta, under Canada’s presidency. Prime Minister Mark Carney framed the meeting around priorities of protecting communities, energy and climate security, the digital transition, and future partnerships.
The USS Nimitz is heading to the Middle East amid tensions between Israel and Iran. The U.S. aircraft carrier has a decades-long history in the region, from the 1979 hostage crisis to modern deployments, often serving as a key asset during periods of rising friction with Iran.
Gulf states hosting major U.S. military bases were placed on high alert Sunday after American airstrikes destroyed Iran’s main nuclear sites, raising fears of regional retaliation and a broader conflict that could engulf key energy exporters and destabilise global security.
Iran's top security body, the SNSC, will decide on closing the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil and gas chokepoint, after parliament's reported approval. A Revolutionary Guards commander stated the measure is "on the agenda," signaling escalating tensions.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday voiced deep concern over the escalating tensions following the United States’ military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, calling on all sides to prioritize diplomacy over confrontation.
Türkiye has voiced strong concern following the United States’ strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, warning that the action could dangerously escalate the conflict and trigger a global crisis.
Iran’s top diplomat on Sunday issued a stark condemnation of the United States following overnight military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, declaring that Washington had crossed a "very big red line" and would be held "fully responsible" for the consequences.
Gulf states hosting major U.S. military bases were placed on high alert Sunday after American airstrikes destroyed Iran’s main nuclear sites, raising fears of regional retaliation and a broader conflict that could engulf key energy exporters and destabilise global security.
Senior Russian officials have condemned the United States’ recent military strikes on Iran, warning of a spiralling regional conflict and accusing U.S. President Donald Trump of igniting a "new war" that could backfire by strengthening Iran's leadership.
The United States has clarified that its recent military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities were not intended to overthrow the Iranian government, but to neutralise what it described as urgent threats to national security, amid rising tensions and fears of broader regional conflict.
Iran's top security body, the SNSC, will decide on closing the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil and gas chokepoint, after parliament's reported approval. A Revolutionary Guards commander stated the measure is "on the agenda," signaling escalating tensions.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday voiced deep concern over the escalating tensions following the United States’ military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, calling on all sides to prioritize diplomacy over confrontation.
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