Centre for Combating Extremism

Centre for Combating Extremism
Главное управление по противодействию экстремизму МВД России
Emblem of the Centre for Combating Extremism
AbbreviationCentre E
Agency overview
FormedSeptember 6, 2008
Legal personalityGovernmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
Federal agencyRussia
Operations jurisdictionRussia
Primary governing bodyGovernment of Russia
Secondary governing bodyMinistry of Internal Affairs (Russia)
General nature
Specialist jurisdiction
  • Protection of international or domestic VIPs, protection of significant state assets.
Operational structure
Headquarters16, Zhitnaya street, Moscow, Russia
Website
mvd.ru

The Centre for Combating Extremism (Russian: Главное управление по противодействию экстремизму МВД России, romanized: Glavnoye upravleniye po protivodeystviyu ekstremizmu MVD Rossii), also known as Centre E (Russian: Центр «Э») is a unit within the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation.

The unit was established by decree No. 1316 of the President of the Russian Federation on 16 September 2008. The unit has been especially active in the North Caucasus and also in Crimea following its annexation in 2014. Their official focus is the suppression of extremism. The Centre E has been widely accused of prosecuting and harassing opposition groups, anti-regime bloggers, environmentalists and other civic activists. One example of their work is the suppression of the Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The unit is also primarily responsible for suppression of LGBT symbolism in the country.