Russia: Exiled advocate faces “extremism” charges over human rights work for Nobel Peace Prize-winning NGO Memorial

Reacting to news that a prosecutor’s office in Moscow is about to initiate criminal proceedings on “extremism” charges against prisoners’ rights advocate Anna Karetnikova, from the Memorial Human Rights Centre, who is currently living in exile, Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director, said:

“Amnesty International has long warned of the danger that Russia’s vague and overly broad anti-extremism legislation would be used to criminalize lawful human rights work. Today, those fears are being realized with the criminal case against Anna Karetnikova – the first time such charges have been used against an individual solely because of their human rights work.”

“Although Anna Karetnikova is living in exile and can only be tried in absentia, the threat of prosecution sends a chilling message that is intended to silence human defenders in Russia and abroad, stop them from documenting violations and deter them from speaking up for the victims of these abuses. Criminalizing the human rights work of a leading, Nobel Peace Prize-winning NGO is a harmful and shameful move that further exposes Russian authorities’ true motives.

Criminalizing the human rights work of a leading, Nobel Peace Prize-winning NGO is a harmful and shameful move that further exposes Russian authorities’ true motives

Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director

“The Russian authorities must drop these charges against Anna Karetnikova, close this case and stop abusing absurdly broad and vague ‘extremism’ legislation against their critics, whether they be human rights defenders, political opponents, LGBTI people or dissident religious groups. Russia’s repressive legislation must be brought into line with the country’s international human rights obligations.”

Background

On 26 October 2026, the Lefortovo Interdistrict Prosecutor’s Office in Moscow announced that it had gathered materials to initiate criminal proceedings against Anna Karetnikova on charges of “participation in activities of an extremist organization” (Article 282.2(2) of the Criminal Code) and “evasion of duties of a foreign agent” (Article 330.1(2)).

Although the prosecutors didn’t name the “extremist organization” in question directly, Anna Karetnikova has worked or collaborated since 2002 with Memorial Human Rights Centre, Russia’s oldest human rights group. Four years after it was awarded the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, Memorial was arbitrarily designated as “extremist” by Russian authorities in April 2026.

Between 2008 and 2016, Karetnikova served on Moscow’s Public Monitoring Commission, an independent public body monitoring detention facilities. She later worked as a lead analyst for the Federal Penitentiary Service before being fired from her position in January 2023 and leaving Russia. In April 2025, she was arbitrarily designated as a “foreign agent” by the Ministry of Justice.

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