The Prosecutor General's Office of Russia recognized the activities of the 'German Council on Foreign Relations', founded in 1955, as 'undesirable' on the territory of Russia.
According to the Prosecutor General's Office, experts from DGAP advised the German leadership, federal ministries, and agencies on international relations. Since the start of Russia's full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, the organization has called for increased sanctions pressure on Moscow and for providing military and financial assistance to Kyiv. In addition, DGAP, according to the Russian supervisory authority, 'sought to destabilize the domestic political situation in Russia by promoting ideas of pro-European political changes'.
Previously, Russian authorities also declared other German organizations 'undesirable'. For instance, in August 2024, the Prosecutor General's Office declared the activities of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V.) 'undesirable', accusing it of spreading materials 'discrediting' the policies of the Russian leadership.
The register of 'undesirable' organizations has been maintained in Russia since 2015. Foreign or international organizations can be recognized as 'undesirable' if, in the opinion of the authorities, they pose a 'threat to the foundations of the constitutional order of the Russian Federation, the country's defense capability, or state security'. Such organizations are prohibited from operating on the territory of the country.
Participation in the activities of an 'undesirable organization' is punishable by administrative liability in the form of a fine ranging from 5,000 to 15,000 rubles. In the case of a repeated violation within a year after the first fine for participating in the activities of an 'undesirable' organization, criminal liability ensues, ranging from fines of 300,000 to 500,000 rubles to imprisonment from one to four years. Moreover, this applies to participation in activities outside of Russia as well.