The Russian Ministry of Justice has designated the activities of International House World Organization (IHWO), a UK-based network of language schools, as "undesirable." This decision was published on the ministry's official website.
The Georgian civil society group UNMODE, which advocates for justice system access for current and former prisoners with drug-related histories, was also added to the list of banned organizations. The reasons for this designation remain unspecified.
IHWO operates as a British educational institution coordinating over 160 language school franchises across 50 nations, including Russia, primarily serving school-aged learners and university students.
The push to blacklist IHWO came from Senator Alexei Naumets, who accused the language school network of openly backing Ukrainian leadership and promoting "Western ideals" among young Russians. Naumets further claimed that IHWO's preparation of Russian students for IELTS and TOEFL exams could facilitate their emigration after graduation.
UNMODE describes itself as a rights-focused initiative working to secure legal protections for incarcerated individuals and ex-convicts with substance use backgrounds.