Press release on the Russian author­ities’ decision to list the Center for Liberal Modernity as an “undesirable foreign organization”

 Press Release  27. May 2021  

Statement by Ralf Fücks und Marieluise Beck:

The Russian Prose­cutor General’s decision to brandmark the Center for Liberal Modernity together with the German-Russian Exchange (DRA) and a Russian exile organi­zation as “undesirable foreign organi­za­tions” is an act of political lawlessness.

Its aim is to terminate our cooper­ation with Russian partners with the stroke of a pen. As a conse­quence, any Russian citizen working with us in any capacity risks criminal persecution.

Our by far biggest German-Russian project is “Climate change and eco­nomic mod­ern­iza­tion of Russia”, which com­prises numer­ous experts from both coun­tries. In addition, we are running a German-Russian dialogue project about the impor­tance of Andrei Sakharov. We also host the website www.russlandverstehen.eu and the annual inter­na­tional conference “Russia and the West”. Our Russia-related activ­ities are partially funded by the German Foreign Ministry.

We never disguised our critical position versus the Putin-Regime which made us focus on cooper­ation with Russian civil society and engaging in the debate about adequate policies vis a vis Russia in both Germany and the EU. Our dream (for the future) is a democ­ratic and European Russia.

The Kremlin aims to divide German NGOs, founda­tions and think tanks into desirable and undesirable organi­za­tions. Among those already listed as undesirable are European Platform for Democ­ratic Elections, the German Marshall Fund, the Prague Civil Society Center, the Open Society Foundation, the National Endowment for Democracy, the founda­tions of the Democrat and Repub­lican parties in the US, the Atlantic Council and the Council of Europe’s Associ­ation of Schools of Political Studies.

Those who criticize the Kremlin risk being forced out of the country. An intended conse­quence of this is the infringement of free speech in the West with regard to critical reporting and debate about Russia. At the same time Russian civil society is deprived of political and financial support from the West. More than 160 Russian organi­za­tions have already been classified as “foreign agents”.

We hope that the German government and all friends of Russia will not accept this divide and rule policy and will press Russian author­ities to revoke their decision. We thank Foreign Minister Heiko Maas for his clear words.

Dialogue with a gag order is a farcical dialogue.

Berlin, 27. May 2021