Russia’s prosecutor general announced the ban of The Clooney Foundation for Justice, founded by US film star George Clooney and his human rights lawyer wife Amal, in a statement on Monday.
The ban was imposed due to the organization’s alleged activities aimed at discrediting Russia and supporting banned terrorist and extremist groups.
According to the statement titled “The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office Appreciates Hollywood Activists’ Acting Talent”, the foundation under the guise of humanitarian work, allegedly promotes criminal probes against top Russian authorities.
Following Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine in February 2022, there has been a crackdown on dissent in the country.
In July, The Clooney Foundation, amongst other NGOs, filed a case with the UN Human Rights Committee, accusing Russia of human rights violations in a 2022 missile attack on Vinnytsia, Ukraine.
In early August, Russia’s prosecutor general also banned the German pro-democracy foundation Konrad Adenauer and in July, the Moscow Times news outlet, labeling them as “undesirable”.
Organizations with the “undesirable” status are required to shut down operations in Russia, and individuals working for or supporting them may face prosecution.
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