Russia's attorney general said he had banned the foundation founded by American film star George Clooney and his wife Amal, a human rights lawyer.
"The activities of the Clooney Foundation for Justice have been declared objectionable on the territory of our country," the statement said.
The organization "conducts extensive activity aimed at discrediting Russia, actively supports false patriots and members of banned terrorist and extremist groups."
"Under the guise of humanitarian ideas, these 'warriors for justice' ... are developing criminal investigation initiatives against top Russian officials," said the statement, titled "Russian Prosecutor General's Office Evaluates Acting Talent of Hollywood Activists."
After Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, Russian authorities increased their crackdown on dissent to levels not seen since the Soviet Union.
In July, the Clooney Foundation, along with several other NGOs, filed a lawsuit with the UN Human Rights Committee accusing Russia of violating the human rights of Ukrainians killed in the 2022 missile attack on Vinnytsia.
At the beginning of August, the Prosecutor General of Russia banned as "undesirable" the activities of the German pro-democracy foundation "Konrad Adenauer", and in July he did the same with the information publication "Moscow Times".
The "undesirable" status forces the organizations to cease operations in Russia and means that Russians who work for, fund or collaborate with them can also be prosecuted. | BGNES
