Statement of the IFSH Executive Board, 4 November 2026
On 30 October 2026, it became known that the Russian Ministry of Justice, acting on a decision by the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office, had added the IFSH to the register of so-called “undesirable organizations.”
For more than 50 years, the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg (IFSH) has been an independent research institution that offers a forum for scientific exchange and well-founded debate on peace and security in Europe and beyond. It combines fundamental academic research with analysis of current security policy developments and produces practical recommendations for policymakers and society.
Academic freedom and cross-border cooperation are essential foundations of this work. The classification as an “undesirable organization” attacks these foundations. It endangers free exchange and puts pressure on people who jointly research central questions of peace and security in Europe. The IFSH remains committed to its mission of developing prospects for a peaceful European future through independent research and international cooperation.
Under Russian law, Russian nationals are prohibited from taking part in the activities of organizations classified in this way, even outside Russia. This means that working at the IFSH or taking part in its activities in Germany may expose Russian nationals to administrative penalties and, under certain circumstances, criminal penalties.
The IFSH takes the possible consequences of this classification for its staff, cooperation partners, and others associated with the Institute very seriously. We are currently carefully examining the implications for existing cooperation and activities. The protection of those affected is our highest priority.
The IFSH Executive Board
