Russia Targets Exiled Critics With New Registry And Financial Restrictions
Russia’s Ministry of Justice published a registry containing 12 figures facing legal and financial restrictions under a law signed by President Vladimir Putin in August, dnes.dir.bg reported. The register includes prominent figures such as opposition politician Mikhail Khodorkovsky, political scientist Ekaterina Schulmann, and entrepreneur Yevgeny Chichvarkin.
Deputy Justice Minister Oleg Svyrydenko announced the creation of the registry in an interview with the state-run TASS news agency, stating the measure guarantees transparency and fairness. The legislation targets individuals outside Russia who evade imposed criminal sentences, particularly those who publicly condemned the military offensive against Ukraine.
Russia Blocks Funds and Services for Exiled Critics
The new legislation introduces sweeping measures against exiled critics, including the blocking of funds held in Russian banks. Affected individuals also face bans on utilizing essential public services, such as consular assistance for passport renewals and marriage registrations.
The restrictions apply specifically to citizens living outside Russia who have received in-absentia prison sentences from Russian courts. Many of these figures left the country following the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, which prompted heightened state repression against dissenting voices.
United Nations Condemnation Over Social Death Tactics
United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Russia Mariana Katzarova issued a statement in mid-August condemning the legislation as an attempt to subject exiled critics to a form of social death. She stated that the law targets anti-war voices and government critics to make life outside Russia unlivable.
Non-governmental organizations similarly denounced the statutory framework as an instrument for imposing severe civic isolation. Kremlin authorities have continued to hand down long prison terms in absentia to activists and opposition figures who fled the jurisdiction.
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