Russia: Amnesty International's Moscow Office sealed
| Publisher | Amnesty International |
| Publication Date | 2 November 2016 |
| Cite as | Amnesty International, Russia: Amnesty International's Moscow Office sealed, 2 November 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5825d3f34.html [accessed 1 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Staff at Amnesty International's Moscow Office arrived at work this morning to find their office unexpectedly sealed with a notice from municipal authorities warning people not to enter.
"We do not know what prompted Moscow authorities to prevent our staff from accessing our offices - an unwelcome surprise for which we received no prior warning," said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International's Europe and Central Asia Director.
"Given the current climate for civil society work in Russia, there are clearly any number of plausible explanations, but it's too early to draw any conclusions. We are working to resolve the situation as swiftly as possible and very much hope there is a simple administrative explanation for this setback to our work.
"We are 100% confident that we fulfilled all our obligations as tenants."
The short notice posted on the organization's central Moscow office - which is rented directly from the city's municipal authorities - said the building was "property of a city of the Russian Federation" and that nobody could enter without being accompanied by a municipal official. The locks and alarm system had been removed and the electricity supply appeared to have been cut off.
Amnesty International staff called the municipal authorities' number listed on the notice in an attempt to resolve the situation, but there was no answer. They are currently seeking a meeting with municipal authorities.
