Russia Blocks Human Rights Monitor OVD-Information’s Web site

Russia has blocked the web site of OVD-Information, a outstanding human rights monitor monitoring political persecution, the group stated Saturday, as authorities press forward with a crackdown on dissent.

Russia’s Supreme Courtroom is contemplating whether or not to close high rights group Memorial, which works with the monitor.

OVD-Information, which tracks opposition protests and in addition gives authorized assist to victims of political persecution, stated the Roskomnadzor media regulator had blocked its web site earlier this week.

“For the time being, we have now not obtained a discover and have no idea the rationale for being blocked,” the group tweeted.

A Roskomnadzor registry of blocked web sites confirmed {that a} Moscow area court docket had issued a ruling dated December 20 to “restrict” entry to the positioning.

The web site was not accessible by AFP journalists in Russia on Saturday.

This yr has seen a historic crackdown on Russia’s opposition and impartial media, beginning with authorities jailing high Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

In September, the justice ministry added OVD-Information to its rising record of “overseas brokers,” a time period with Soviet-era undertones, with the group calling the transfer an “act of political strain”.

Memorial has stated it fears it might be shut down by the top of the yr.

Prosecutors accuse the rights group of breaching “overseas agent” laws and justifying terrorism by releasing lists of political prisoners that embody banned figures like Navalny.