Russia brands Nobel-winning rights group Memorial an extremist movement

Source: NBC

Russia's Supreme Court designated human rights group Memorial as an "extremist" movement on Thursday, a move the group said ‌marked a new phase of oppression in the country.

The ruling - the latest in a sweeping, years-long crackdown on free speech in Russia - provides a new legal mechanism for authorities to prosecute anyone who contributes to the work of the Nobel Prize-winning organisation, donates to it or shares material that it publishes.

After the closed-door hearing, the Supreme Court said Memorial's ​activities within Russia were banned with immediate effect.

They "are clearly anti-Russian in nature and are aimed at destroying the basic foundations of Russian ​statehood, violating its territorial integrity, and eroding historical, cultural, spiritual, and moral values," it said in a statement.

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Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/world/russia/russia-brands-nobel-winning-rights-group-memorial-extremist-movement-rcna267425