Moscow: Russian authorities have sealed the Moscow office of human rights group Amnesty International.
Sergey Nikitin, the head of Amnesty International in Russia, said that when employees arrived at office this morning, they found that the door was broken and there were new locks.
Photographs on Wednesday showed the door sealed up with an official notice from Moscow city authorities.
Nikitin said International Amnesty has rented the office from the Moscow city government for over 20 years.
Staff member Alexander Artemyev said that official seals had been placed on the entrances to the office, the locks had been changed and that power to the office had been cut off.
No prior warning was given, Alexander added.
Human rights organizations in Russia have complained of official pressure in recent years, including the intimidation of their staff and controversial legislation regulating the operation of non-governmental organizations.
- IT