On June 26, 2025, Lyudmila Kozlovska, head of the Belgium-based NGO Open Dialogue Foundation, testified before the U.S. Congress’s Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. She cited a defamation lawsuit filed by Kyrgyzstan’s Bakai Bank against her organization as an example of “transnational repression.”

A Belgian court has since cast serious doubt on that claim and, in the process, revealed a broader problem.

The case began with a series of publications in 2023 in which the Open Dialogue Foundation accused Bakai Bank of helping Russia bypass international sanctions. The group suggested the bank itself should face sanctions.

HOW NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS PERPETUATE THE CONFLICT IN GAZA

But in Brussels, the court saw it differently. It found that the organization had made serious allegations without a sufficient factual basis, relying on unverified sources and damaging the bank’s reputation. 

The court acknowledged that NGOs play an important watchdog role. At the same time, it drew a clear line. Even in matters of public interest, claims must be backed by verified facts.

To correct the record, the court ordered Open Dialogue Foundation to remove all materials related to Bakai Bank and publish the full judgment prominently on its website homepage for 30 days or face fines of........

© Washington Examiner