The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office designated the international group Human Rights Watch as an “undesirable organisation” on Friday, a move that prohibits its operations within the country. The decision, announced on Nov. 29, 2025, makes cooperation with the group a criminal offense under a 2015 Russian law.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a statement in response to the designation.
“For over three decades, Human Rights Watch’s work on post-Soviet Russia has pressed the government to uphold human rights and freedoms,” Philippe Bolopion, executive director at Human Rights Watch, said in the statement. “Our work hasn’t changed, but what’s changed, dramatically, is the government’s full-throttled embrace of dictatorial policies, its staggering rise in repression, and the scope of the war crimes its forces are committing in Ukraine.”
HRW, founded in 1978, reports on human rights conditions in numerous countries. Prior to the designation, the group had published reports accusing Russia of suppressing dissent and alleging its forces committed war crimes in Ukraine.
The designation is the latest in a series of similar actions taken against civil society groups, media outlets, and activists, which have increased since February 2022. Russia’s list of “undesirable organisations” now includes over 275 entities. Among those listed are Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the think tank Chatham House, the anti-corruption group Transparency International, and the World Wildlife Fund.
In separate actions this week, Russian authorities pursued measures against other groups. On Friday, the prosecutor’s office announced it was opening a case to designate the feminist punk band Pussy Riot as an “extremist” organisation. On Thursday, Russia’s Supreme Court designated the U.S.-registered entity of the Anti-Corruption Foundation, founded by the late opposition figure Alexey Navalny, as a “terrorist” group. An earlier iteration of the foundation had been designated “undesirable” by the Russian government in 2021.
Separately, Russia’s state communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, stated on Friday that it could block the messaging service WhatsApp if the platform does not comply with Russian law. The Interfax news agency quoted the watchdog as saying, “If the messaging service continues to fail to meet the demands of Russian legislation, it will be completely blocked.”
In August, Russian authorities began restricting some functions on WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta Platforms, and on the Telegram messaging app. Russian officials stated at the time that the platforms had not shared information with law enforcement. WhatsApp has previously stated that Moscow’s actions impede access to secure communication.
