In the updated register of 'undesirable' organizations of the Ministry of Justice, the Initiative FoReDi organization created in Finland, which is raising funds for the installation of a memorial bench in memory of Alexei Navalny near the Russian embassy in Helsinki, was noted by the 'Agency'**.
At the same time, the official reasons for recognizing the organization as 'undesirable' were not announced. The activists of the organization linked the inclusion in the register of 'undesirable' organizations with attempts by the Russian authorities to complicate the fundraising for the creation of the memorial.
The Initiative FoReDi association is an NGO created in 2024 with the aims of 'resisting the Putin regime' and 'establishing dialogue between people of different political views'. The founders of the organization include Russians who received political asylum in Finland and Russian-speaking citizens of Finland. The chairman of Initiative FoReDi is a former municipal deputy from St. Petersburg, Nikita Kirillov, who left the country in 2022 and was stripped of his mandate in 2024 after calling on residents of his district to participate in the 'Noon Against Putin' action.
The association held actions and rallies in support of Russian political prisoners, refugees from Ukraine, and the LGBT*** community, and also organized the exhibition 'Faces of Russian Resistance' and cultural events in support of political prisoners.
In February, activists reported that the Helsinki authorities approved the installation of a memorial to Alexei Navalny in the form of a bench in a park adjacent to the territory of the Russian embassy, directly at the fence of the Russian diplomatic mission. At the moment, 1.4 thousand euros have been raised out of the 4.4 thousand required for the installation of the bench.
* Included in the list of 'terrorists and extremists'.
** Recognized in Russia as a 'foreign agent'.
*** Recognized in Russia as an 'extremist' organization.