The Moscow Meshchansky District Court received a statement of claim demanding the liquidation of the Russian PEN Center. As the Ministry reported, the plaintiff in the case is the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation. Online.
»<…> According to the administrative claim of the Ministry of Justice of Russia on the liquidation of a branch of a foreign non-profit organization, the Russian branch of the International PEN Club “Russian PEN Center”, pre-trial preparation is scheduled for October 30, 2023. <…>“- the ministry said in a statement.
The reason for the lawsuit was not stated by the Ministry of Justice.
“Russian PEN Center” is the Russian branch of the international organization “PEN Club”. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together writers, poets, and journalists to support persecuted “people of the word.” The international organization was founded in London in 1921, the Russian branch appeared in 1989.
Ministry of Justice in May 2023 accepted “St. Petersburg Russian PEN Club” (the organization is included in the list of foreign agents by the Ministry of Justice) is a foreign agent.
Previously in Russia liquidated Sakharov Center.