Russian Prosecutor Labels Khodorkovsky NGO 'Undesirable' Ahead Of Protest
Russia's top prosecutor has labeled Open Russia -- a nongovernmental organization set up by former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky -- an 'undesirable organization,' a move that puts the group in legal jeopardy just days before a street protest that it has called for.
The statement from the Prosecutor-General's, released on April 26, targeted Open Russia as well as its affiliated organizations -- including the Institute for Modern Russia, which is run by Khodorkovky's son.
'The organizations listed have undertaken special programs and projects on the territory of the Russian Federation with the goal of discrediting the results of recent elections, declaring them to be illegitimate,' the office said.
Open Russia responded quickly to the announcement, saying the organization was in fact registered in Russia, and therefore could not be deemed undesirable under Russian law.
Seeking momentum from the massive street protests held last month, spearheaded by anticorruption crusader Aleksei Navalny, Open Russia has called for a mass street protest on April 29.