Russia labels George Clooney's human rights foundation "Undesirable"

Russian prosecutors have designated The Clooney Foundation for Justice, a US-based non-profit group founded by actor George Clooney and his wife Amal, as an "undesirable" organisation for carrying out work aimed at discrediting Moscow, as per report by Reuters.

The label "undesirable" has been applied to tens of foreign groups since Moscow began using the classification in 2015, and effectively bans an organisation outright. The Clooney Foundation for Justice is a human rights organisation that focuses on promoting justice and accountability around the world.

The Russian Prosecutor General's Office accused the foundation of carrying out work on a "Hollywood scale" aimed at discrediting Russia, and of actively supporting individuals who have left the country. The office also claimed that the foundation promotes initiatives for the criminal prosecution of Moscow's top leadership and publicly disseminates negative assessments of Russian legislation on foreign agents and NGOs.

The Clooney Foundation for Justice did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

In addition to non-profit organisations, Russia's "undesirable" list includes media outlets, political, cultural and religious groups that Moscow claims are a threat to the country's security.