As of last Friday, June 23rd, the Movement of Conscientious Objectors has been officially labeled as a “foreign agent” in the Russian Federation.

This action, while a demonstration of the effectiveness of the work of the Movement of Conscientious Objectors in Russia, is fundamentally a discriminatory application of law that contradicts universally accepted human rights and freedoms.

The Ministry of Justice accuses the Movement of Conscientious Objectors of Russia of disseminating supposedly false information about the government’s actions, decisions, and policies, in addition to opposing Russia’s military actions in Ukraine. For the current government of the Russian Federation these allegations are sufficient to warrant the stigmatization of the Movement of Conscientious Objectors.

We believe that the Movement of Conscientious Objectors in Russia will continue our mission. The Movement of Conscientious Objectors in Russia stands firm in non-violent principles and values, dedicated to educating individuals about their right to conscientious objection to military service.