‘Committee against Torture’ announces liquidation after being added to ‘foreign agent’ list

The Russian “Committee against Torture” announced the liquidation of the organisation after its inclusion into the NPO “foreign agent” list by the Russian Ministry of Justice, the decision was made public by the leader of the human rights organisation, Sergey Babinets.

“We don’t want to continue our work while carrying the stigma of “foreign agents”. We consider this term to be offensive slander. The entire time the Committee has been defending the rights of the citizens harmed by torture and inhuman treatment from government officials,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

Additionally, Babinets specified that the organisation representatives will share their future plans in the coming days. “We want to live in a torture-free Russia and we will make our country better no matter what. It’s our duty,” he stated.

The Committee staff won’t abandon the 188 cases they’re currently working on.

“These are 188 stories of inhuman cruelty and hope for justice:

it is our duty to bring these cases to conclusion. We will reveal our future plans soon,”

he wrote.

The “Committee against Torture” was pronounced a “foreign agent” on Friday, 10 June. The Russian Ministry of Justice characterised the work of the organisation as “representation of the claimant’s interests during the investigation and in court; help in receiving compensation, and also, if necessary, conduction of medical rehabilitation.”

The “Committee against Torture” has been operating without being registered as a legal entity since 2016. In 2015, the Ministry of Justice included the organisation into the NPO “foreign agent” list, after which it was liquidated. The same year they created a “Committee for the Prevention of Torture”, however that organisation was also proclaimed a “foreign agent” and later liquidated.