Russia has officially declared the Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ), founded by Hollywood actor George Clooney and his wife, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, as "undesirable," effectively banning the organisation from operating within its borders.

The decision, announced on Monday by the Russian Prosecutor General's Office, marks yet another instance of the Kremlin cracking down on foreign entities deemed critical of the government.

The CFJ, established in 2016, is dedicated to investigating human rights abuses and war crimes globally. Currently, the foundation is focused on examining war crimes occurring in Ukraine.

The foundation's efforts have drawn the ire of Russian authorities, who accuse it of "discrediting Russia on a Hollywood scale." In a statement posted on Telegram, the Prosecutor General's Office claimed that the CFJ "actively supports pseudo-patriots who have left the country, members of banned extremist associations, and terrorist organisations."

This rhetoric aligns with Russia's broader strategy of branding foreign organisations that challenge or criticise the Kremlin's policies as threats to national security.

“Under the guise of humanitarian ideas, the ‘fighters for justice’ from Madison Avenue promote initiatives for the criminal prosecution of Russia's top leadership, and publicly disseminate negative pseudo-expert assessments of Russian legislation on foreign agents and NGOs,” the statement said.

Since 2015, Russia has designated numerous foreign charities, think tanks, and civil society organisations as "undesirable." This legislation specifically targets entities perceived as antagonistic to President Vladimir Putin's regime. Organisations marked as "undesirable" are prohibited from operating within Russia, and Russian banks and companies are barred from engaging with them, effectively isolating these groups from the Russian public.