Russia The Russian prosecutor’s office is preparing to close down the prestigious Memorial

Russian prosecutors plan to ban the Memorial, the country’s most respected human rights organization. The prosecution project has been seen as the latest attempt to silence the president Vladimir Putinia criticize independent voices.

Memorial said it had received a report from the Russian Supreme Court that prosecutors had demanded the group be disbanded. The organization is considered to have systematically violated the so-called legislation of foreign agents.

According to the memorial, there is no legal basis for the charges and the prosecutors’ project is political.

“This is a political decision aimed at destroying Memorial, an organization dedicated to the history of political repression and the protection of human rights,” Memorial said in a statement.

Observers have described Russia’s recent efforts to suppress independent organizations in the past.