Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The British Council, the body responsible for administering the IELTS English proficiency test, as an "undesirable" entity.
The government body alleges that the organization "masquerades as an educational and cultural institution <...> using English language instruction as a cover" while actively "promoting and backing the prohibited <...> LGBT movement." Officials claim its objective is "to erase Russian cultural identity among residents of former Soviet states."
In an official statement, the Prosecutor General's Office further asserted that The British Council "operates under a consortium with other banned groups to implement programs of alleged 'cultural exchange' aimed at consolidating Baltic opposition to Russia."