Russia's Supreme Court has allowed the Nobel Peace Prize-winning rights group to be labeled as an "extremist" organization, a move that will allow authorities to go after anyone who contributes to the work of the group or shares materials it has published.

The ruling was handed down on April 9 during a closed-door hearing that is the latest attempt in a long-running crackdown by officials in Russia to curb free speech. The campaign has gained momentum since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 as authorities look to limit criticism of the military operation.

"The Norwegian Nobel Committee is deeply alarmed by the Russian authorities latest attempt to destroy Memorial," the committee said in a statement ahead of the ruling.

"Memorial was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its decades-long work documenting war crimes, human rights abuses, and the victims of Soviet-era repression. To designate such an organization as extremist is an affront to the fundamental values of human dignity and freedom of expression."

Exposing Soviet Crimes

The ruling is part of a Kremlin assault on Memorial, which has spent decades exposing the crimes of the Soviet government -- particular during the era of dictator Josef Stalin -- against its own people.

The organization wasbannedin Russia in December 2021 for purportedly violating the country's draconian laws on so-called foreign agents.

In 2022, Memorial wasawardedthe Nobel Peace Prize along with Ukraine's Center for Civil Liberties and Ales Byalyatski, the jailed founder of the Belarusian rights group Vyasna.

"The case against Memorial is yet another attempt to intimidate all dissent in the country and force civil society into silence," Memorial said in a statement prior to the announcement of the ruling.

Since its ban inside Russia, Memorial has been operating mainly from abroad to support hundreds of political prisoners still inside the country.

The April 9 ruling was directed at "the international public movement Memorial," which the group says doesn't formally exist.

The vague designation by Russian authorities, Memorial says, is a deliberate move to allow the prosecution of anyone speaking out on human rights or historical crimes.

Nobel-Winners Memorial Labeled 'Extremist' By Russian Court

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