The Ukrainian World Congress condemns the creation by Russian authorities of a “patriotic stop list” that aims to ban the activities of “unwelcome” foreign NGOs in Russia, including the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC), according to a report by Russian news agency РИА НОВОСТИ.
The preparation of this “patriotic stop list” is not a transparent process and the UWC was never informed of the reason why it is being targeted by such action.
The UWC will, nevertheless, continue to work with the international community to ensure that Russia stops violating Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity, ceases its illegal occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Ukraine) and releases all illegally detained prisoners. The UWC will also continue to counter Russian disinformation.
Also included on the “patriotic stop list” are Freedom House, Open Society Institute, National Endowment for Democracy, National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, International Republican Institute, East European Democratic Center, MacArthur Foundation, Education for Democracy Foundation, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Crimean Field Mission for Human Rights and Ukrainian International Coordinating Council.
“The Ukrainian World Congress is greatly concerned by the preparation of a “patriotic stop list” because it demonstrates a further deterioration in the Russian Federation of human rights, including freedom of speech,” commented UWC President Eugene Czolij. “We urge the international community to react to this unacceptable course of action by the Russian authorities which indicates their will to return to the totalitarian era of the Soviet Union.”
