Russia has banned George Clooney's foundation from operating within the country, accusing the star and his lawyer wife of discrediting Russia "on a Hollywood scale" with its investigation into human rights abuses.
"The activities of the foreign non-governmental organization Clooney Foundation for Justice, USA ('Clooney Foundation for Justice') have been deemed undesirable on the territory of our country," the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation wrote on Monday via Telegram.
The Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ) was founded in 2016 by Clooney and his wife, Amal, who the Prosecutor General's Office said: "considers herself an attorney in the field of international law."
According to the foundation's website, the CFJ is: "actively investigating war crimes in Ukraine, monitoring sham trials targeting women and journalists and fighting against a global trend of authoritarianism that seeks to punish those who speak truth to power."
Since the invasion began in February 2022, the CFJ has also been "gathering evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity" committed by Russia within Ukraine, and aims to "trigger criminal prosecutions and bring justice to the survivors."
However, according to Russia's Prosecutor General, Clooney's non-profit "carries out work on a Hollywood scale aimed at discrediting Russia."
