Russia Continues Crackdown Against Kremlin Critics, Issues New 'Wanted' List

russia continues crackdown against kremlin critics, issues new ‘wanted’ list

Moscow: Nearly two months after Putin critic Alexei Navalny’s mysterious death, Russia has decided to continue its crackdown on dissent. In the latest move, Russia has issued a new wanted list which mainly targets Putin and Kremlin critics across the country.

As per independent Russian news outlet Mediazone, the Russian Interior Ministry has issued a new “wanted” list which contains names such as women’s rights activist Darya Serenko and prominent journalist and author Mikhail Zygar. The two critics have been listed as wanted on criminal charges.

The entries by the ministry, however, do not specify the charges or why the activists were added to the list. However, what seems odd is that Serenko and Zygar had both left Russia years ago.

Serenko co-founded the Feminist Anti-War Resistance group shortly after the Russia-Ukraine war broke out in February 2022. Once Russia began its crackdown on critics of the war, the activist fled to Georgia. Serenko and her group have been labelled as “foreign agents” by the Russian government.

Mikhail Zygar, author and founding editor-in-chief of Dozhd, was also declared as a “foreign agent” during the invasion and fled Russia. As per reports, Zygar has been charged with spreading false information about the Russian army.

Along with Serenko and Zygar, another women’s rights activist Zalina Marshenkulova was charged with “justifying terrorism” on social media.

Russian activists and journalists are not the only ones fearing the crackdown. In late 2023, the Russian president also introduced a “loyalty agreement” for foreigners as part of its crackdown on dissent. Under this agreement, foreigners in Russia would be prohibited from criticising any official policy related to the former Soviet nation.