Russian authorities on Monday declared George Clooney’s nonprofit “undesirable,” effectively blocking it from operating inside the country.
The Clooney Foundation for Justice was set up by the Hollywood actor and his wife, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, in 2016 to investigate mass human rights abuses and support victims. The organization is “actively investigating war crimes in Ukraine” as part of its work, according to the CFJ website.
The Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation said in a statement Monday that it had declared the activities of the CFJ to be “undesirable on the territory of our country.”
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“The Foundation carries out work aimed at discrediting Russia on a Hollywood scale,” the statement read.
“It actively supports pseudo-patriots who have left the country, members of banned extremist associations and terrorist organizations,” the office claimed without evidence. “Under the guise of humanitarian ideas, the ‘fighters for justice’ from Madison Avenue promote initiatives for the criminal prosecution of Russia’s top leadership, and publicly disseminate negative pseudo-expert assessments of Russian legislation on foreign agents and NGOs.”
In a statement, a CFJ spokesperson told the Daily Beast their organization would not be deterred by the Russian move.
“As an organization that fights for justice and human rights in over 40 countries around the world, we know that our path is fraught with challenges,” the spokesperson said. “CFJ will continue to work for a world where human rights are protected and no one is above the law.”
In 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law that allows prosecutors to declare organizations “undesirable.” The Kremlin claims that such organizations pose a threat to national security, while critics of the law say it is used simply to silence opponents of the regime.
Organizations on the undesirable list—which have included media outlets, pro-democracy groups, and even a U.S. college—must stop operating in Russia or face hefty fines and criminal penalties. Russians who cooperate with such organizations or help with their financing in Russia can also face up to five years in prison.
