By RFE/RL's Russian Service

The Russian Prosecutor-General's Office said on May 16 it had labeled the independent news outlet SOTA an "undesirable organization" amid an ongoing crackdown on free media. The office said SOTA's materials aim "to destabilize social and political situation in Russia...damage the spiritual and moral basis of Russian society...and...discredit Russian armed forces." The "undesirable organization" law, adopted in 2015, targets NGOs and media outlets that receive funding from foreign sources. Russian officials have used the designation, which was expanded in 2021, to marginalize dozens of foreign organizations. Russia in February labeled Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty an "undesirable organization."