Russia court hits Memorial rights group with second ban

A Moscow court yesterday hit Russia's most prominent rights group, Memorial, with a second ban in as many days despite an international outcry. Judge Mikhail Kazakov ordered the dissolution of Memorial's Human Rights Centre, which campaigns against contemporary rights abuses in Russia, at the request of prosecutors. On Tuesday, the country's Supreme Court had ordered the dissolution of Memorial International, the group's central structure which chronicles Stalin-era purges and maintains the network's extensive archives in Moscow.