The Supreme Court of Moscow designated the Azov battalion as a terrorist organization, consequently prohibiting any activity on the territory of Russia. “We recognize the nationalist paramilitary association Azov as a terrorist organization and we ban its activities in Russia,” the court said in a statement, noting that the decision takes effect “immediately”. The decision, issued at the request of the Attorney General, also provides for more severe penalties for members of the Azov Battalion. The court hearing took place largely behind closed doors because the materials presented are classified as secret.
The court considers that the battalion’s ideology includes elements of “extreme biological racism”, plans for racial segregation in the legal sphere, rejection of democracy, morality and international law. The court also accused its members of attacking representatives of ethnic minorities and political opponents, of intimidating the Russian-speaking community in Ukraine, of carrying out kidnappings and of resorting to torture, especially in the Donbass region in the east of the country.
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