The Norwegian Nobel Committee condemned the attempt to criminalize Memorial

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has called on the Russian authorities to withdraw their claim to designate the so-called ‘International Memorial movement’ as an extremist organisation, and to cease all persecution of Memorial and its members.

The Committee also urged international actors to speak out and take all available measures to protect those at risk inside Russia, warning that the case — reportedly to be heard behind closed doors, without access to the ruling — raises serious concerns over transparency and due process.

Memorial was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 for its decades-long work documenting political repression and human rights abuses. It shared the prize with Belarusian human rights defender Ales Bialiatski and Ukraine’s Centre for Civil Liberties. At the time of the award, Ales Bialiatski was in detention in Belarus for his civic activities.

The Committee described the attempt to label Memorial as extremist as a direct attack on the principles of human dignity, historical truth and freedom of expression:

‘The Norwegian Nobel Committee is deeply alarmed by the Russian authorities’ latest attempt to destroy Memorial — a co-recipient of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize — by seeking to designate as an extremist organisation the ‘International Memorial movement’ (an entity that does not exist).

The Committee has learned that Russia’s Ministry of Justice has filed a claim to the Supreme Court requesting such a designation. The trial is scheduled for 9 April, and will reportedly be held in closed session. No representatives of Memorial have been formally notified, and neither the public nor Memorial’s lawyers will have access to the text of any ruling. The Committee regards this as a deliberate concealment in order to shield illegal actions from international scrutiny.

If the claim is upheld, all activities of Memorial will be criminalised. Anyone taking part in, or funding, Memorial’s work — or even sharing its published materials — will risk imprisonment.

Memorial was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its decades-long work documenting war crimes, human rights abuses and the victims of Soviet-era repression. To designate such an organisation as extremist is an affront to the fundamental values of human dignity and freedom of expression.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee calls on the Russian authorities to immediately withdraw this claim and to cease all harassment of Memorial and its members. The Committee also appeals to all international actors to speak out clearly and take all available measures to protect those at risk inside Russia.

Jørgen Watne Frydnes

Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee’