Russian opposition figure Ilya Yashin said Monday that authorities had stripped him of his citizenship, citing court documents from his lawyer.
Yashin, a former Moscow city councilman and vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin, was sentenced in 2022 to more than eight years in prison for denouncing the invasion of Ukraine. He was freed last summer in a prisoner exchange between Russia and the West.
Court documents in a new criminal case against Yashin showed that the Interior Ministry had classified him as a “stateless person” who is barred from entering Russia.
“In other words, I’ve been deprived of Russian citizenship,” Yashin wrote on Telegram, calling the move, if confirmed, “a major new precedent and a new stage of Putin’s lawlessness.”
Independent Russian media reported that a judge on Monday asked prosecutors to explain the Interior Ministry’s designation at a hearing next week.
Russia’s Constitution forbids the government from revoking citizenship. Still, some lawmakers have pushed for such measures since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, saying “traitors” should be deprived of citizenship.
Yashin, an ally of the late opposition activist Alexei Navalny, has lived in Germany since being freed last year.
AFP contributed reporting.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
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 every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
