The EconomistCritical Russians abroad risk losing their assets. Moscow is working on a law that will allow seizures in cases of “crimes against Russia’s interests.” Anyone who speaks out against the Kremlin could soon be punished even far beyond Russia’s borders.
Vyacheslav Volodin, the chairman of the State Duma and the mouthpiece of Putin’s hardline, announced on Sunday via Telegram that the Duma will discuss a bill in mid-May that would allow Russians abroad to be prosecuted for “crimes against Russia.” That is, anyone who says something the Kremlin doesn’t like outside the borders of the motherland can’t feel safe.
Russians in Europe
The law targets, among other things, the estimated Russian government subsidized half a million Russians in Western Europe, including about 35,000 properties of Russians in the United Kingdom and the 50,000 properties in the United States. Many of them fled their country out of fear of arrest, conscription or persecution but were financed by the Russian state with loans from Russian banks. But even far from home, they are not safe now.
Anyone who dares to “discredit” the Russian military could face charges. “Abusing freedom of expression” will soon be a criminal offense. In addition, displaying Nazi symbols will be considered a crime – an accusation often used in Russia to criminalize opposition members and protesters.Last month, a similar law was passed that allows for trial in absentia for Russian fugitives. Previously, this only applied to serious crimes, but now it also applies to minor and medium-serious offenses.
Fear and self-censorship
The law also provides for the confiscation of property from defendants to prevent them from “evading the court’s verdict”: anyone who does not voluntarily report to Russian justice could lose their home, according to the law – even if that home is located in The Hague or Hamburg.Although it is highly unlikely that countries such as the Netherlands, France or Germany will actually cooperate in carrying out such charges, the legal threat has an effect even without an extradition request: fear and self-censorship. The message to critics abroad is unmistakable: even if you are gone, we are watching you.
If the new Russian legislation were to pass, it would be another hard blow to the thousands of Russians who sought refuge in Europe. Life for this group has been anything but easy since the war in Ukraine.For many Russians in Europe – from dissident refugees to legal residents – daily existence increasingly feels like an endless accountability, characterized by closed borders, suspicious eyes, and systems that treat them as if they are guilty of the very regimes they fled. As many Russians tell Western media, their flight to freedom is often overshadowed by a constant sense of insecurity.
Nowhere really safe
Russians who are critical of the Kremlin have long been shown to be truly safe nowhere – not even in Western Europe. Anyone who speaks out against the Russian government runs the risk of suddenly ‘falling out of the window’ or being intimidated in more subtle ways.Dissidents, journalists and ordinary citizens who raise their voices are regularly followed, threatened or spied on, according to security reports from several EU member states. Russian intelligence services are actively operating on European soil, using fear and pressure to maintain a grip on the Russian exile community.
However, there are efforts to protect Russians, where possible, from Russia’s long arm. The European Union has strict rules on who can and cannot enter the EU, and member states are committed to supporting people under threat with legal aid and security.Strategic plans are being developed and there is cooperation with human rights organizations. But as is often the case, it turns out that this does not stop Russia from going a step further, now and perhaps in the future.
Johanna Liander
Sophie Rosemont
Alexis Parker
Amandine Lhoste