Amnesty International staff arriving at the organization’s Moscow office Wednesday morning found the door to their office “unexpectedly” sealed off with a stamped notice from municipal authorities, according to the human rights organization.
“We do not know what prompted Moscow authorities to prevent our staff from accessing our offices – an unwelcome surprise for which we received no prior warning,” Amnesty International’s Europe and Central Asia director John Dalhuisen said in a statement online.
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Dalhuisen said he wasn’t ready to draw conclusions, but said there a number of reasons why the offices could have been shuttered “given the current climate for civil society work in Russia.”
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The director said he’s hoping there is a “simple administrative” explanation, though he and his team have fulfilled all responsibilities as tenants.
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“We don’t know what prompted Moscow authorities to prevent our staff from accessing our offices – an unwelcome surprise, no prior warning,” read a tweet on Amnesty International’s Russian account.
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Another post indicated the locks and alarm system had been removed from the doors, and electricity to the office cut.
According to a post on the organization’s site, the Moscow office rents the property from the city’s municipal authorities. The notice sealing the door warned no one is permitted on the premises without “being accompanied by a municipal official.”
Amnesty indicated they called the phone number on the notice but no one picked up.
Amnesty International is an international organization with offices in Africa, Latin America, Asia and across Europe.
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