Russia Expands Crackdown Beyond Its Borders

Russia has sharply increased surveillance, intimidation and reprisals against critics living abroad since its invasion of Ukraine, according to UN Special Rapporteur on Russia Mariana Katzarova.

Her report, based on almost 400 documented cases, identifies Russia as one of the most prolific perpetrators of “transnational repression”. An estimated 650,000 to 900,000 people have left Russia since 2022, while documented incidents of repression abroad tripled from 29 between 2014 and 2021 to 89 between 2022 and 2024.

Katzarova said the Kremlin has increasingly shifted from direct violence to covert, administrative and digital methods. Russian authorities, for example, place opponents on lists of “terrorists and extremists”, which can trigger the freezing of accounts at European and American banks.

Russian authorities have also restricted consular services and travel documents for citizens living abroad.

Russia is the most frequent user of Interpol arrest requests, according to the report, although roughly half of the Russia-related cases reviewed by Interpol’s oversight body in 2024 were found to be non-compliant.

Targets include anti-war activists, journalists and NGOs, with cases concentrated in Central Asia and the South Caucasus but increasingly documented in Europe and elsewhere.

Moscow has previously denied allegations of hostile actions abroad and accused Western countries of conducting a smear campaign against Russia.

(Reuters, max)