25 December 2019, 23:34
Chair of HRC "Memorial" board fined for fourth time after inspection of Ingush FSB
In Moscow, the court has obliged Alexander Cherkasov, the chairman of the board of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", to pay 100,000 roubles for the absence in the NGO's publications of a mark that it had been recognized by the authorities as a foreign agent. The total amount of the fines imposed on Alexander Cherkasov reached 400,000 roubles.
The involvement of the FSB Department for Ingushetia in the inspection of the social network accounts of the human rights organization had not been explained in any way, including in court, emphasized Timur Akiev, the head of the HRC "Memorial" office in Ingushetia. He also noted that the HRC "Memorial" received no warnings from the FSB.
In general, units of the HRC "Memorial" and their heads were fined 3.2 million roubles.
The today's fine, imposed on Alexander Cherkasov following the review of administrative protocols concerning absence of "foreign agent" mark, has become the fourth already, the "Mediazona" reports with reference to the press service of the HRC "Memorial".
The HRC "Memorial" was included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in the register of foreign agents in 2014. The NGO did not succeed in seeking the annulment of the MoJ's decision through the court. The human rights defenders admit that they receive money from foreign sources, but note that they use it to defend the rights of Russian citizens. The humiliating "foreign agent" mark provokes associations with spies, the HRC "Memorial" reports.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 25, 2019 at 03:09 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
