Russia puts the squeeze on prominent human rights group

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian authorities have turned the legal screws on one of the country’s most prominent human rights groups. This is the latest action in a months-long crackdown on activists, independent media and opposition supporters. The Prosecutor General’s Office has petitioned Russia’s Supreme Court to liquidat the Memorial — an international human rights group that rose to prominence for its studies of political repressions in the Soviet Union and was declared a “foreign agent” in 2016. The “foreign agent” designation implies additional government scrutiny and carries strong pejorative connotations that can discredit the targeted organization. In a statement on its website, Memorial’s board said tthat there are no legal grounds for revoking the group’s legal status.