Controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2023
Withdrawal of support for Masha Gessen award
The foundation withdrew its support for presenting the Hannah Arendt Prize for Political Thought to Masha Gessen after objecting to an essay on the Gaza–Israel conflict published in The New Yorker.
2022
Russia designates the foundation undesirable
Russian authorities declared the Heinrich Böll Foundation an undesirable organization after it had been removed from a registry of NGO affiliates. The designation restricted the foundation's legal operating environment in Russia.
Accusations of political interference in Turkey
The foundation has been accused by the Turkish government and by some opposition figures, including prominent intellectuals, of attempting to shape Turkish politics. The accusations concern the political character and international activities of its work rather than a finding of legal wrongdoing in the supplied material.