Russia imposes new restrictions on its citizens abroad

The Commission of the State Duma of the Russian Federation for Investigating Foreign Interference is preparing draft laws introducing new restrictions on citizens who are outside the country and have been held criminally or administratively liable in Russia. This was reported by Zamin.uz.

The commission announced this on its official channel on December 11. The measures being prepared are mainly planned to be applied to citizens held accountable for politically motivated offenses.

This includes violations of the law regulating activities under the status of "foreign agent," calls for territorial integrity violations of Russia, calls for the imposition of sanctions against Russia, discrediting the Russian Armed Forces, as well as participation in the activities of "undesirable" organizations. The list of proposed restrictions within the draft is extensive.

Among other things, entrepreneurial activities, registration of real estate and vehicles, and use of driver's licenses will be restricted for Russians living abroad. Additionally, access to public services and banking operations will also be suspended.

Freezing of funds and prohibition of transactions through power of attorney are envisaged. Restrictions will be imposed based on the decision of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation or their deputy.

The names of these individuals will be entered into a special public register and published on the internet. Furthermore, some consular services may also be withheld.

According to lawyer Anastasiya Burakova, this law equates citizens held administratively liable almost with those under criminal liability. She emphasized that if this law is adopted, cases of some Russian emigrants effectively losing their citizenship will increase.

As a result, there is a risk of an increase in the number of people without identity documents.