Russia has banned George Clooney’s foundation from operating within the country, accusing the star and his lawyer wife of discrediting Russia “on a Hollywood scale” with its investigation into human rights abuses.
“The activities of the foreign non-governmental organization Clooney Foundation for Justice, USA (‘Clooney Foundation for Justice’) have been deemed undesirable on the territory of our country,” the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation wrote on Monday via Telegram.
The Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ) was founded in 2016 by Clooney and his wife, Amal, who the Prosecutor General’s Office said: “considers herself an attorney in the field of international law.”
According to the foundation’s website, the CFJ is: “actively investigating war crimes in Ukraine, monitoring sham trials targeting women and journalists and fighting against a global trend of authoritarianism that seeks to punish those who speak truth to power.”
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Since the invasion began in February 2022, the CFJ has also been “gathering evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity” committed by Russia within Ukraine, and aims to “trigger criminal prosecutions and bring justice to the survivors.”
However, according to Russia’s Prosecutor General, Clooney’s non-profit “carries out work on a Hollywood scale aimed at discrediting Russia.”
“It actively supports false patriots who have left the country, members of banned extremist groups and terrorist organizations,” it continued, referencing the organization’s cooperation with Ukrainians who have fled to elsewhere in Europe.
“Under the guise of humanitarian ideas, the ‘fighters for justice’ from Madison Avenue promote initiatives for the criminal prosecution of the top leadership of Russia, publicly disseminate negative pseudo-expert assessments of Russian legislation on foreign agents and NGOs,” the Telegram post said.
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Newsweek contacted the CFJ for comment on the ban, and to inquire how this will affect its ongoing operations.
Russia’s “undesirables” law, formally known as the “Law on Undesirable Organizations,” is a legislative measure passed in May 2015, and gives Russian authorities the power to ban foreign or international organizations if they are deemed to pose a threat to the country’s constitutional order, defense capabilities, or state security.
As with the 2022 “foreign agents” legislation, the law has been viewed as part of a broader trend of Russia cracking down on human and civil rights organizations operating within its borders, and has been criticized for its broad and vague criteria, which allow for significant discretion in its application.
According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which was added to the list of “undesirable organizations” in February, organizations branded with the label “have to completely stop their work inside Russia or face heavy fines and criminal repercussions.”
In addition, Russian citizens can also face up to five years in prison for cooperating with these groups, or for offering them financial support.
Clooney’s organization joins the list of more than 140 others that have been deemed “undesirable,” which RFE/RL said “essentially finishes off” their existence within Russia.
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