Russia declares Norwegian organisation SmåRådina ‘undesirable’
Several other organisations were added to the list on the same day.
On 24 July, Russia’s Ministry of Justice added the Norwegian-Russian organisation SmåRådina (SmåRådina: for Democracy in Russia) to the register of "undesirable" organisations. The Russian authorities have not publicly explained the reasons for the decision.
The organisation SmåRådina emerged in Norway in January 2021 after the arrest of Aleksei Navalny. At the time, several dozen people took part in a protest outside the Norwegian parliament building, after which they created a permanent association of supporters of democratic change in Russia. More than 100 people now take part in its work.
After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the organisation focused on anti-war activities. It holds rallies and pickets, organises actions outside the Russian embassy, supports political prisoners, and helps Ukrainian refugees.
In addition, SmåRådina holds meetings with Russian human rights defenders, journalists, and political activists. It also participates in public events in Norway, marching as its own column in May Day processions and the Oslo Pride parade, and organising discussions about the persecution of LGBTQ+ people in Russia.
According to the head of the organisation, Yevgenia Khoroltseva, SmåRådina is not an NGO in the classical sense but rather "a network of caring people who are not indifferent to what is happening in Russia."
The designation of SmåRådina as "undesirable" means that Russians are prohibited from taking part in its work, including outside Russia. Repeated participation carries criminal liability.
"Time will tell how the decision affects the organisation," says Khoroltseva. "It is not entirely unexpected, but neither is it a bolt from the blue. We understand what the Russian Federation is today and what kind of authorities those who call themselves that represent. We see that sister organisations in Sweden and other countries have also been given the status of ‘undesirable organisations’."
On the same day, nine more organisations were added to the register of "undesirable" organisations. Among them was the Norwegian Ukrainian Freedom SConvoys, which buys and delivers vehicles and equipment to the Ukrainian military using private donations. The list also included the German Robert Bosch Stiftung and Geradeaus e.V. (StraightForward Foundation), the Platform of Anti-War Initiatives, the Paris-based Reforum Space, the Eastern European Network for Civic Education, the British International Drug Policy Consortium, and the American organisations Nova Ukraine and Liberty Forward.
