This week on the podcast we discuss the current situation around Memorial and the moves by prosecutors to close down two organisations: the International Memorial Society and Memorial Human Rights Centre. Our guests on the podcast are Sergei Davidis and

Jens Siegert. Sergei Davidis is head of the programme in support of political prisonersat the Memorial Human Rights Centre, an organisation of which he is also aboard member. Jens Siegert is a German journalist, writer, and politicalscientist who has lived in Moscow for many years, was formerly head of the BöllFoundation office in Russia, and is a great friend and supporter ofInternational Memorial.

The questions discussed in the podcast include:

What has happened? The International Memorial Society

received two notices. The General Prosecutor's Office has filed a lawsuit toliquidate International Memorial, and the Moscow prosecutor's office isdemanding that the Memorial Human Rights Centre also be closed down. Why such a‘division of labour’ among prosecutors and why now? And what will happen to theregional branches of Memorial?

Just recently a group of people broke into the Memorial

during a showing of a film about the Holodomor, then the police came, and thepolice searched Memorial’s premises and confiscated some of its equipment! Isthere a connection between the events of October 14 (invasion + police) andNovember 11 (Supreme Court notice)?

How has the public in Russia and the international community

reacted? Germany is said to have a special relationship with Memorial - what isthe reaction there?

What is the significance of this attack on Russia's most prominent

human rights organization?

What is the prognosis? What will happen to Memorial? What

will happen to the human rights movement in Russia?

This podcast is in Russian. You can also listen to the

podcast on our website oron SoundCloud, Podcasts.com, Spotify, iTunes and Anchor.  The music, fromStravinsky’s Elegy for Solo Viola, is performed for us by Karolina Herrera.

Sergei

Nikitin writes on Facebook:

"The scale and intensity of recent repression is so great that each new

episode of repression competes for public attention," Sergei Davidis told

us during the podcast. "Each of these events individually should be enough

to outrage society. But when several such events happen on the same day,

society simply does not have the strength and resources to react. It should be

remembered that the possibility of street protests due to coronavirus bans is

also ruled out. Nevertheless, many people have spoken out. On the level of

public statements, support is strong." As well as Sergei, Jens Siegert

also took part in the podcast. He told us that at first in Germany the news

about the prosecutors' moves against Memorial were a big shock. "Few

people thought the wave of repression that has been going on in Russia for a

year now could reach organizations like International Memorial. It's too big an

organization, too important. Many people thought they would probably not touch

it. We see a lot of solidarity with Memorial, and I think it will continue to

grow. There were protests in front of the Russian embassy in Germany and there

will be more. People who are not indifferent see this attack on Memorial as the

return of the Chekist state." Sergei Davidis said: "We will fight to

the last." I'm sure that many, many people will sign up to these words.

Simon

Cosgrove adds: ‘For further information about the past week in Russia,visit our website here.