A Moscow court heard a case against Memorial on Thursday, which might result in the closure of Russia’s most well-known human rights organisation, closing off capping off a year marked by a historic crackdown on dissent.

Prosecutors have requested the court to dissolve Memorial’s Human Rights Centre, which advocates for political prisoners and other disadvantaged groups, for alleged failures to use the “foreign agent” label on all their publications and for justifying terrorism.

Hundreds of supporters gathered outside the Moscow City Court when it reconvened to hear the case, while observers were not permitted inside due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The prosecutors said in court that Memorial’s failure to properly designate its supplies could affect Russians’ “psychological health” and lead to depression.

According to the prosecution, the group’s website contains information “justifying terrorism and extremism,” as well as information that “harms minors.”

The trial comes after President Vladimir Putin’s opponents have been subjected to extraordinary repression, including the imprisonment of senior opposition politician Alexei Navalny.

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However, the decision to close Russia’s top human rights organisation stands out and would have been unimaginable a few years ago.

Authorities have also filed a complaint against Memorial International, the organization’s central structure, for breaking the “foreign agent” legislation.

The Supreme Court of Russia will reconvene next week to consider the lawsuit against Memorial International.

The two cases are the largest threat to the organisation’s existence since it was founded in 1989 by rights activists including renowned scientist and Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov.

They bookend a year that has seen authorities launch an unprecedented crackdown on the opposition and independent media, imprisoning Navalny in February and banning his organisations.

The pressure on Memorial has led to a major outcry in Russia and the West.

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