The Ministry of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the information and analytical center “Sova” for liquidation (which is part of the register of foreign agents) in the Moscow City Court. The center reported that the lawsuit was filed on March 10, and it was due to unscheduled inspections in January. The main violation, according to SOVA on Telegram, was holding events outside the region of registration or participating in them. The Ministry of Justice counted 24 such events in three years, including participation in OSCE conferences. The center disagrees and intends to challenge the agency’s position in court.
Alexander Verkhovsky, the head of the center, stated that the accusations include participating in events outside of Moscow, including online events, during the pandemic of 2020. The Veterans of Russia movement requested liquidation for Sova in September 2022, and the Ministry of Justice began inspecting the center in November. The Sova report states that criminal prosecution for radical speech remained at the same level as last year in 2022, but an increase in sentencing for extremism cases may occur in 2023. The number of participants in banned organizations and citizens held accountable for speaking out against the authorities is also increasing. Details can be found in the Kommersant material titled “Extremism Has Stabilized.” The authors of this content are Laura Keffer and Maria Starikova.
The Ministry of Justice sent a lawsuit to the Moscow City Court on the liquidation of the information and analytical center “Sova” (included in the register of foreign agents). According to the center itself, the lawsuit was filed on March 10. The agency cited unscheduled inspections conducted in January as the reason for it.
SOVA reported on Telegram that holding events outside the region of registration (the center is registered in Moscow as a regional NPO) or participation in them was recognized as the main violation. The Ministry of Justice counted 24 such events in three years and took into account, among other things, participation in OSCE conferences. The center disagrees with the agency’s position and intends to challenge it in court.
“That is, we are accused of participating in events outside of Moscow, including online, during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. I absolutely do not understand how it is possible that, according to the Ministry of Justice, any NGO should participate only in those events that take place on the territory of its city. Well, if it is an all-Russian organization, can it not participate in international conferences? We have participated in various events for many years, wrote about it on our website, and even received state grants for this. The law has not changed over the years, but now it is read differently, probably out of a desire to close our organization, ”said Alexander Verkhovsky, head of the center, to Kommersant.
In September 2022, the Veterans of Russia movement asked to liquidate Sova. According to the center, in November, the Ministry of Justice began an unscheduled inspection of Sova. The center itself clarifies that a wave of attacks on him began, including for his criticism of the “illegal application of anti-extremist legislation.”
According to the Sova report, criminal prosecution for radical speech in 2022 remained at about the same level as a year earlier, but in 2023, an increase in sentencing in cases of extremism is possible. At the same time, the number of participants in banned organizations is growing, experts say, as well as the proportion of citizens held accountable for speaking out against the authorities.
Details – in the material “Kommersant” “Extremism has stabilized.”
The Ministry of Justice’s lawsuit against the information and analytical center “Sova” has sparked controversy and disagreement. Sova denies any wrongdoing and plans to challenge the agency’s position in court. However, their criticism of the “illegal application of anti-extremist legislation” has drawn attention and scrutiny, leading to a wave of attacks against the organization. Meanwhile, criminal prosecutions for radical speech have remained stable, but experts predict an increase in sentencing for extremism in the upcoming year. The situation remains contentious, and the outcome of the court case could have significant implications for freedom of speech and association in Russia.