The Russian Ministry of Justice has declared Human Rights Watch an "undesirable" organization, banning its activities in the country, a sign of increasing repression.

The Russian Ministry of Justice has added Human Rights Watch to the list of foreign and international non-governmental organizations considered undesirable, thus banning its activities in Russia. This decision, announced on November 28, is seen as a sign of increasing repression under the Kremlin regime. Philippe Bolopion, executive director of Human Rights Watch, emphasized that although the organization's mission has remained steadfast in defending human rights, the Russian government has adopted increasingly dictatorial policies. In 2022, after the invasion of Ukraine, the Human Rights Watch office in Moscow was closed, and activities continued despite the restrictions. The decision to ban the organization was made on November 10, but the official reasons were not communicated. The law on "undesirable" organizations is a legislative tool used by Russian authorities to silence criticism and paralyze independent civic organizations. Additionally, GSC Game World, a Ukrainian video game developer, has been included on the same list.