The Prosecutor General's Office recognized the British analytical center The Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI), which specializes in defense, international relations, and global security, as an 'undesirable' organization, as reported on the agency's website.
According to the Prosecutor General's Office, under the guise of research and 'countering the imaginary Russian threat,' members of the organization 'discuss the tactics of Russia's military and intelligence actions.'
'NGO participants publish articles accusing Russia of striving to annex Europe, discrediting the West, and interfering in the electoral processes of other countries. Some materials contain appeals to NATO members to unite for the most destructive impact on the Russian economy,' the agency's statement indicates.
As the Prosecutor General's Office claims, organization participants are developing a 'methodology of warfare,' researching new types of weapons, and analyzing 'scenarios of international isolation of Russia and plans for destructive impact on our economy.'
The RUSI analytical center was founded in 1831. It is funded by the UK authorities, the European Commission, and non-governmental organizations, some of which were previously recognized as 'undesirable' in Russia. The organization aims to support and develop public discussion on defense 'for a safer and more stable world,' as noted on the center's website.
The register of 'undesirable' organizations has been maintained in Russia since 2015. Foreign or international organizations that, according to the authorities, pose a 'threat to the foundations of the constitutional order of the Russian Federation, the country's defense capability, or state security' can be recognized as 'undesirable.' Such organizations are prohibited from operating within the country.
Participation in the activities of an 'undesirable organization' is punishable by administrative liability in the form of a fine from 5,000 to 15,000 rubles. In case of repeated violation within a year after the first fine for participation in the activities of an 'undesirable' organization, criminal liability ensues, ranging from fines of 300,000 to 500,000 rubles to imprisonment from one to four years. Moreover, this applies to participation in activities outside of Russia.