"Memorial" changed its charter

On Sunday, a three-day conference of the Russian historical, educational and human rights society “Memorial” ended. The main issue discussed at the conference was the changes in the charter of the organization in accordance with the requirements of the Ministry of Justice. According to The New Times, Jan Rachinsky, a member of the board of the Memorial society, "Changes in the Charter are more of a technical character." According to him, “if earlier another public organization could be included in the public organization, then according to the new Civil Code (the interpretation that the Ministry of Justice will most likely adhere to it) can now include only individuals, citizens.” In accordance with the changes, the “Russian memorial” became an association of individuals, and the “International Memorial” - the Union of Organizations.

The second significant change adopted in the Charter of the Society is an exception to the name of the organization of the word “charitable”. “The word“ charitable ”stands in quotation marks - this is not the status of the organization, but part of the name, but the Ministry of Justice believes that if there is a word“ philanthropist ”in the name, then the whole organization is charitable, this is a rather strange interpretation, but the Ministry of Justice is not ready to abandon it. We decided that since we cannot fulfill one of the requirements for charitable organizations - to collect the conference annually for the approval of charitable programs - it is easier for us to abandon this word, and this will not prevent us from engaging in charity, ”added Rachinsky. “Our goal was to accept the text of the charter that would not be constrained and will not cause a claim by the Ministry of Justice,” summed up a member of the board of the Memorial Society.