Russia bans human rights NGO Amnesty International, declaring it "undesirable"

"Amnesty's London headquarters is the center for preparing global Russophobic projects funded by accomplices of the Kiev regime," the Russian prosecutor's office said in a statement.

The prosecutor's office accuses the NGO of "doing everything possible to intensify the military confrontation in the region, justifying the crimes of Ukrainian neo-Nazis and calling for an increase in their funding."

The "undesirable" status forces the affected organizations to close their doors in Russia .

Russians working there can be prosecuted

And Russians who work for them, finance them, or collaborate with them may also be liable to prosecution.

On its website, Amnesty International describes Russia as a country that "continues its war of aggression against Ukraine" and where " the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association remain severely restricted."

Russia first compiled a list of "undesirable" organizations in 2015. The list now includes 223 organizations .