Feedback Anti-Discrimination Center “Memorial” made an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) back in 2014 concerning its persecution in Russia. Earlier St. Petersburg city court ordered ADC “Memorial” to register itself in the list of non-governmental organizations “performing functions of foreign agents”. Human rights report “Roma, migrants, activists: victims of police arbitrariness”, which had been prepared by ADC “Memorial” for the UN Committee Against Torture in 2012, had been considered by the Russian authorities to be a case of this NGO’s involvement in political activities. Representatives of ADC “Memorial” then appealed to the ECtHR referring to violation of Articles 10, 11 and 14 of the European Convention of Human Rights. ADC “Memorial” claimed that it had become a victim of unjust repression following publication of its human rights report, that its right to freedom of expression was violated, that it had become a victim of discrimination and that the very law on “foreign agents” adopted in Russia violated the right to freedom of association.
International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) has recently filed an amicus curiae brief to the ECtHR in the legal appeal of ADC “Memorial” to the court. ISHR has pointed out that the right to freedom of expression included the right to unrestricted access to communication with international human rights bodies. According to ISHR, the case of ADC “Memorial” proves that there exist repressions and pressure on public associations cooperating with the United Nations Organization. Experts of the ISHR called on the ECtHR to ensure the protection of the right of safe communication of representatives of civil society in Russia with the UN. ISHR believes that Russia’s demand for additional reporting of NGOs to the authorities and especially the negative stigma of “foreign agents” adversely affect the activities of NGOs in Russia.