Russian Prosecutor General's Office added the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance (IRFBA) to the list of undesirable organizations.
This was reported on the website of the department, according to Radio Liberty.
The report of the Prosecutor General's Office claims that the IRFBA “serves the interests of the United States and its allies, participates in the implementation of measures to discredit the domestic and foreign policy of the Russian authorities, destabilize the socio-political situation in our country, releases materials about alleged violations of religious freedom in Russia to increase sanctions pressure on Russia.”
The IRFBA reports referred to the persecution of certain religious movements in Russia, such as Jehovah's Witnesses or Hizb ut-Tahrir, as well as the oppression of priests and believers disloyal to the Kremlin and the Moscow Patriarchate by the Russian occupation authorities in Russian-controlled areas.
“The International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance is a network organization founded in 2020 in the United States. Its members are 38 countries, with five more countries having friendly status. Russia is not a member of the alliance.
The IRFBA's mission is to monitor the observance of religious rights and freedoms, advocate for religious minorities, and combat discrimination based on religion.
The law on undesirable organizations has been in effect in Russia since 2015. The work of structures the authorities include in the relevant register is prohibited in the country. Participation in the activities of an undesirable organization is punishable by a fine and, in case of a repeat offense, up to four years in prison. At the same time, the wording of what exactly can be considered participation lacks clarity.