Russian court dissolves 2 prominent human rights groups

Why it matters: The closures are a major blow to the country's shrinking civil society and a continuation of the Kremlin's campaign to stifle political dissent and crack down on groups advocating for democratic reforms.

Context: Memorial International, which was established in the late 1980s to study human rights abuses committed by the Soviet Union, was designated as a foreign agent organization by the Justice Ministry in 2016 because it received international funding, according to CNN.

• Prosecutors later accused the nonprofit of violating laws regulating foreign agents by not labeling its materials with a foreign agent label — an allegation the Russian Supreme Court upheld Tuesday.

The big picture: The foreign agent designation has been repeatedly used by the Russian government to suppress opposition figures, activists, journalists and human rights lawyers, according to the Washington Post.

• Tuesday's court ruling could set a precedent for other organizations that have been designated as foreign agents by the Russian government.

Go deeper: Russian envoy warns of security measures if NATO dismisses demands

Editor's note: This story has been updated with new details on the court's decision to close the International Memorial Society's sister organization.