We are deeply troubled by the announcement of a lawsuit filed by the Russian Prosecutor General's Office aimed at dissolving the civil society organization Memorial in this 100th anniversary year of the birth of its founder, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Andrei Sakharov.
We are closely monitoring developments in this lawsuit. It is essential to preserve this organization, which is unparalleled in its scope and in its effort to promote historical research into the tragedies of the past, access to the Russian historical heritage, European collective memory, and the defense of human rights.
This work is vital to building a common future and must be conducted in total freedom.