Soros Foundation Russian agency suspends work

The Soros Foundation's Russian representation office suspended its work due to a conflict with its lessor, Yekaterina Geniyeva, the head of the Open Society Institute /Soros Foundation/ in Russia, RIA Novosti reported on Wednesday.

According to her, visitors have not been able to enter the Foundation's building since yesterday because its gates are closed. Early on Tuesday they were locked by independent security service staff, employed by the director of the Nobel Technologies company, the owner of the building. Up to 20 security officers, armed with automatic rifles, are keeping their vigil in front of the building.

The Foundation, which patronizes a large number of educational and humanitarian programs, used to receive up to 1 thousand people per day - representatives of partner organisations from Russia's regions, mayors, governors, heads of universities. Now these people cannot get in.

Legal proceedings on the building in Ozerkovskaya Embankment are underway in the Moscow court of arbitration. Two days ago the court issued a decision on the Foundation's suit, proving its right to a 10-year lease of the building. Today the proceedings are continuing on the suit by the Nobel Technologies company, which claims that the Foundation was obliged to withdraw from the building as far back as last summer.