The General Prosecutor's Office of Russia has recognized the American NGO "Clooney Foundation for Justice" as an undesirable organization, according to Radio Liberty citing the Russian Prosecutor General's Telegram channel.
According to the Russian authorities, the American foundation is accused of "discrediting Russia with Hollywood flair," supporting "dishonest patriots who left the country," and participants in banned extremist groups and terrorist organizations. It is also alleged to promote initiatives for the criminal prosecution of Russia's top leadership and to publicly disseminate negative pseudo-expert evaluations of Russian laws on foreign agents and NGOs.
Founded in 2016 in New York by actor George Clooney and human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, the foundation's official mission is "to fight for justice and hold accountable those responsible for human rights violations." The foundation operates in over 40 countries worldwide, including investigating Russian military crimes in Ukraine.
Under the law on undesirable organizations, signed by Putin in May 2015, such organizations are prohibited from operating in Russia. This designation also means that individuals cooperating with the organization could face criminal charges. Several Russian citizens have been sentenced to imprisonment for cooperating with such organizations.
