Originally published May 29, 2023 4:00 pm PDT
In a significant development, the Russian Ministry of Justice has officially designated Greenpeace International, a non-profit environmental organization, as an “undesirable” entity.
This announcement was made public on Monday, citing a decision by the First Deputy Prosecutor General from May 18, 2023, which falls under specific provisions of the national legislation.
“The Russian Ministry of Justice added Greenpeace International (Stichting Greenpeace Council, the Netherlands), an international non-government non-profit organization, to the list of foreign and international non-government organizations whose activity is recognized as undesirable in Russia,” the ministry stated.
These actions were undertaken in adherence to parts 1, 4, and 7 of Article 3.1 of Russia’s federal law.
This law is tailored to address individuals and entities implicated in infringing upon fundamental human rights and liberties, as well as the rights and freedoms of Russian citizens.
A day after the decree from the First Deputy Prosecutor General, on May 19, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia followed suit, labeling Greenpeace as an undesirable organization.
The basis for this unprecedented action against Greenpeace International, a respected international non-governmental organization based in the Netherlands, is not yet clearly articulated.
Greenpeace is funded by left-wing donor groups such as the Tides Foundation, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, the Oak Foundation, and the Park Foundation.
When Russia labels an organization as “undesirable,” it means that the organization is considered a threat to national security and is banned from operating in Russia.
The “undesirable organization” law was implemented in May 2015 as part of regulations aimed at tightening control over nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations receiving foreign funding.
Once an organization is designated as “undesirable,” it is required to cease operations within Russia, and collaboration with or donations to the organization by Russian citizens are prohibited.
The law also applies to foreign or international NGOs that provide services or transfer funds to organizations with “undesirable” status in Russia.
The Russian Ministry of Justice is responsible for maintaining the list of undesirable organizations, and any organization included in the list is banned from operating in Russia.
Meanwhile, Russia has also issued a warrant seeking the arrest of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) after the release of an edited video that made it appear the lawmaker was celebrating the United States’ spending money on the killing of Russians in Ukraine, The Daily Wire reports.
Following the directive of Alexander Bastrykin, a prominent Russian investigator, criminal proceedings have been initiated, leading to the inclusion of Graham on the wanted list of the Russian Interior Ministry.
The focal point of this matter revolves around a video, released by Ukraine’s presidential office, which depicts Graham’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy the previous week.
The video was manipulated to portray Graham uttering the phrase “the Russians are dying” and expressing how the United States’ military assistance to Ukraine is “the best money we’ve ever spent.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov expressed his disdain, stating, “It’s hard to imagine a greater shame for the country than having such senators.”
