The Russian General Prosecutor’s Office has declared the latest British Council (British Council) as an undesirable organization, because “under the guise of educational and cultural activities it promotes British interests and values in the field of education, culture and youth policy”. This was reported by AFP, according to which the British Council has not yet commented on this decision of the Russian authorities, writes TASR.
The prosecutor’s office also reproached the British Council that “it actively promotes and supports the LGBT+movement, which is prohibited in our country” and implements “various projects for systematic discreditation of domestic and foreign policy of the Russian Federation.”
AFP added that Russia has described dozens of organizations supported by the West as undesirable. In practice, this means a ban on their activities in Russia, and anyone who works for these organizations faces a long -term imprisonment.
Britain is the source of crises
The Russian state media reported that the Russian FSB secret service, which allegedly provided evidence for this decision on the British Council, described Britain as “the main source of global crises, provocateur and impulseer of war”.
“London organizes coups, weakens not only its geopolitical enemies, but also its closest allies, opposes the nations against each other and prevents the solution of bloody conflicts that he unleashed,” the Russian agency RIA Novosti quoted the FSB statement.
AFP said Britain is one of the strongest supporters of Ukraine since Russia attacked it in February 2022.
Mutual relationships are not good
Relations between Russia and Britain were the worst since the end of the Cold War before the war in Ukraine – they were influenced by a series of various scandals associated with secret services, including an attempt to murder former Russian spy Sergei Skripal from 2018.
Russia, led by President Vladimir Putin, has been leading a repressive policy against an independent civil society for years and is persecuted by dissidents. This trend escalated just after the invasion of the Russian army in Ukraine. Russia is the target of sharp criticism of human rights organizations in the West.
The British Council is responsible for its activities to the British Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It was founded in 1934. He participates in the organization of internationally valid tests from the English language (ILTS), finances international educational programs and develops cultural links between the United Kingdom and other countries, said the British BBC station. The British Council is represented in more than 200 countries and territories.
