The Ministry of Justice declared the "Stop Occupation of Karelia" movement "undesirable"

The Russian Ministry of Justice included in the register of “undesirable organizations” the movement for the independence of Karelia “Stop Occupation of Karelia” and the fund for assistance to the Ukrainian military “Turn Around Alive”.

"Stop Occupation of Karelia" was created in 2012. The organization preceded the Karelian National Movement, a nationalist separatist organization founded in 2021 on Mount Vottovaara in Karelia.

In 2015, the movement’s website and its VKontakte page were included in the list of extremist materials due to information allegedly “aimed at inciting hatred and enmity on ethnic grounds.” The movement calls its goal to spread “information about the genocide of the Karelian people.”

After the start of Russia's war against Ukraine, at that time the head of "Stop the occupation of Karelia" Dmitry Kuznetsov participated in the III Forum of Free Peoples of Post-Russia in Poland. Its participants called on the EU and NATO to “provide maximum support and assistance, as well as publicly announce the European and Euro-Atlantic prospects for the independent countries” that, in their opinion, will emerge after the collapse of Russia.

“Turn Back Alive” is one of the largest funds to help the Ukrainian military. Since 2014, after the annexation of Crimea, he has collected more than 190 million UAH (about 4.7 million dollars) to help the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

• The law on undesirable organizations, according to which they are prohibited from operating in Russia, has been in force in the country since 2015. Any non-governmental organization that, in the opinion of the Prosecutor General or his deputy, poses a “threat to the security of the state and the foundations of the constitutional order” can be considered undesirable. The authorities have already included over 150 foreign NGOs and NGOs, as well as independent media, including Radio Liberty/Free Europe, among such organizations. Citizens face fines or imprisonment for collaborating with them.
• In 2023, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation added 50 organizations to the register of “undesirable” organizations. This is more than double the figure for 2022 – then 23 organizations were recognized as “undesirable”.
• On May 13, the Russian Government approved a bill according to which any foreign organizations can be considered “undesirable.” This will also apply to organizations with government participation.