George & Amal Clooney’s Foundation Banned From Operating In Russia

George Clooney‘s charitable foundation has been banned from operating in Russia after accusations that he and his wife, Amal Clooney, discredited the country “on a Hollywood scale” through an investigation into human rights abuses.

The Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ) was founded in 2016 and is currently “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,” according to its website.

On Monday, the Prosecutor of General’s Office of the Russian Federation released a statement regarding the investigation via Telegram.

“The activities of the foreign non-governmental organization Clooney Foundation for Justice, USA have been deemed undesirable on the territory of our country,” it wrote. “Under the guise of humanitarian ideas, the ‘fighters for justice’ from Madison Avenue promote initiatives for the criminal prosecution of the top leadership of Russia, publicly disseminate negative pseudo-expert assessments of Russian legislation on foreign agents and NGOs.”

The foundation said that they were unsurprised by the ban, given the risk of operating in the country. It now joins more than 140 other organizations that have been deemed “undesirable” by Russia.

“As an organization that fights for justice and human rights in over 40 countries around the world, we know that our path is fraught with challenges,” the CFJ said.

Clooney is known for his involvement in humanitarian efforts and politics. In July, he called for the president to drop out of the 2024 race after hosting a record-breaking fundraiser for the administration one month prior.