Support The Moscow Times!

State Duma Passes Law to Strip Terrorists of Russian Citizenship

Moskva News Agency / modified by MT

The State Duma has unanimously approved legislation allowing naturalized foreigners convicted of terrorism-related charges to be stripped of their citizenship, the TASS state-funded news agency reports.

The amendments to Russia’s citizenship law were passed after its third reading on Wednesday, the Fedpress.ru website said.

The proposal was introduced following a deadly terrorist attack in the St. Petersburg metro, in which 14 people were killed in April.

The suicide bomber responsible for the attack was originally from the Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan. Under the new amendment, the bomber and his accomplices could have their Russian citizenship revoked. 

But the measure will not apply to born Russian citizens, including those residing in Russia’s restive Northern Caucasus republics of Dagestan and Chechnya, because it would render them stateless.

The amendments also simplify the process of obtaining Russian citizenship for Ukrainians and require foreigners acquiring Russian citizenship to take an obligatory oath.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more