Greenpeace is shut down in Russia after being labeled an “undesirable organization”.

Russian Greenpeace has officially closed after being declared an “undesirable organisation” by the Russian government. Greenpeace received its classification back in 2015, which has since been applied to dozens of foreign groups, effectively banning a singular organization outright. Russia’s Attorney General stated that Greenpeace had tried to “interfere in the state’s internal affairs” and that the group was “involved in anti-Russian propaganda” by supporting sanctions against Moscow.

Greenpeace Russia released a statement saying “this decision makes the continuation of any Greenpeace activity in Russia illegal. Therefore, Greenpeace’s Russian branch is forced to close.” Russia had already launched criminal proceedings against Greenpeace activists back in 2013. Greenpeace activists tried to scale an offshore oil platform in the Arctic Ocean, which belonged to state energy giant Gazprom, in protest against oil production in the Arctic. Russian security services boarded the group’s Dutch-registered boat and took the 30-strong crew into custody, where they were investigated for piracy. Russian Prime Minister Sergei Tsyplenkov said that he would seek legal advice before deciding whether to appeal the verdict, but noted that he is not aware of any successful appeals against such a decision.

Tags: activism,gazprom,Greenpeace,russia


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