The Prosecutor General's Office recognized the Central European University as an “undesirable” organization. about this The department reported in its telegram channel.
The university’s programs “devaluate and distort the history of the Russian state, downplay the merits of prominent Russian scientists, writers, and cultural figures, and promote pseudo-statements about Russia’s guilt in all world cataclysms,” the Prosecutor General’s Office claims.
The department believes that “the organization’s efforts are focused on discrediting the special military operation and the political leadership of the Russian Federation.”
Central European University (CEU) was founded in 1991 by financier George Soros and was located in Hungary. The university is affiliated with the Open Society Foundation. In 2018, under pressure from the Hungarian government, the university was forced to leave the country. CEU is now located in Vienna (Austria). More than one and a half thousand students study at CEU annually, many of whom come from countries of the post-Soviet space.
- In accordance with Russian legislation, foreign or international organizations can be recognized as “undesirable” if, in the opinion of the authorities, they pose “a threat to the foundations of the constitutional system of the Russian Federation, the defense capability of the country or the security of the state.” Such organizations are prohibited from operating in the country, and a number of other restrictions are also imposed on them - for example, they are not allowed to distribute information materials in Russia.
- For participation in the activities of an “undesirable” organization, administrative liability is provided (Article 20.33 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, the maximum penalty is a fine of up to 15 thousand rubles for citizens), and then criminal liability (Part 1 of Article 284.1 of the Criminal Code, the maximum penalty is imprisonment for up to four years). Article 284.1 also applies to financing or organizing the activities of an “undesirable” organization, in which case the punishment can be up to five and six years in prison, respectively.