THE Russian Committee for the Prevention of Torture head yesterday said he has disbanded the group after authorities branded it a “foreign agent”, a label he called an “insult”.

“We do not want to continue working by being labelled ‘foreign agents’. We consider this term an insult and slander,” said Sergei Babinets, adding that members decided on the dissolution of the non-governmental organisation on Saturday.

“Despite the obvious importance of our mission, authorities have been trying to portray it as foreign and harmful for many years.

“Authorities are sending a signal that torture is becoming (or has already become) a part of government policy.”

The organisation, founded in 2000, campaigns to compel authorities to investigate mistreatment by security forces and take steps to stop it.

Its work has included the situation in Chechnya.

Already branded a “foreign agent” in 2015 and again in 2016, the group decided to dissolve itself before reforming to try to shake off the designation.

The label “foreign agent”, reminiscent of the Soviet-era “enemy of the people”, is used heavily against journalists, organisations and the political opposition accused of carrying out foreign-funded political activities.

“Foreign agents” are subject to numerous constraints and tedious procedures, or face heavy penalties.

They must indicate their status in all publications.

The Committee for the Prevention of Torture’s dissolution comes amid a merciless crackdown on critical voices in Russia, particularly since the war in Ukraine in late February.

Since then, many NGOs have been banned.

Russian authorities shut down the offices of Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch in April. – AFP, June 13, 2022.