Russia shuts down human rights group that preserved the legacy of Nobel laureate Andrei Sakharov

By JIM HEINTZ
Associated Press

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Russian courts have ordered the liquidation of a human rights organization that preserved the legacy of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Andrei Sakharov and have ordered the detention of a prominent election monitor. The moves are the latest in a widespread crackdown on dissent. The organization founded in Sakharov’s honor operated the Sakharov Center museum and archives in Moscow, which authorities closed earlier this year. The Moscow City Court ordered the organization’s liquidation on Friday.  A separate court ordered the detention of election monitor Grigory Melkonyants, and his lawyer says he could face six years in prison. Independent journalists, critics, activists and opposition figures have come under increasing pressure from the government in recent years.