The Russian Ministry of Justice has declared the media advocacy NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF) "undesirable" in Russia, which de facto means it is banned, amid a crackdown on all criticism in the country.
According to the official list published on the ministry's website, RSF is now among the "foreign" organizations whose activities have been deemed "undesirable" on Russian territory.
Declaring an organization "undesirable" in Russia means banning its activities because it exposes people who work for it or finance it to legal proceedings and possible prison sentences, writes Agence France-Presse.
Since the beginning of the Russian offensive in Ukraine in February 2022, Russian authorities have greatly increased the repression of critical voices, imprisoning hundreds of people and banning dozens of NGOs and media outlets.
RSF, which is headquartered in France, regularly condemns these attacks on media freedom and assists journalists who are persecuted in Russia.
On its website, RSF expressed regret that "virtually all independent media" are banned in Russia, blocked or declared foreign agents or "undesirable organizations."
Moscow first published a list of "undesirable" organizations in 2015. The list now includes 250 organizations, including Amnesty International and Greenpeace, as well as several media outlets.
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