Dmitry Gudkov, a Russian politician in exile, has been warned by British police that his safety is at risk. Last summer, two plain-clothed police officers met Gudkov at London’s Luton Airport as he arrived to attend a friend’s birthday. They were there to warn him, not arrest him, stating that he was on a list of people in danger. Gudkov, co-founder of the Anti-War Committee, is wanted in Russia for allegedly spreading false information about the Russian army.
In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, there has been a crackdown on opposition figures within the country, leading many activists and journalists to flee. Some Kremlin critics living in Europe, including Gudkov, have reported increased efforts by Russia to threaten and silence them abroad.
Mark Galeotti, an analyst of Russian security services, believes that the Kremlin’s campaign against its “enemies” abroad is intensifying due to growing paranoia. With dissent stifled within Russia, the government is targeting opponents who have sought refuge in the West. The UK Counter Terrorism Policing has acknowledged the escalating threats posed by hostile states such as Russia.
Investigative journalist Alesya Marokhovskaya has received threatening messages revealing personal information, leading her to suspect Russian involvement. She had been labeled a ‘foreign agent’ by the Russian government for her work at an independent news website. Similarly, anti-Kremlin activist Leonid Volkov was attacked in Lithuania, with Polish officials attributing the assault to Russian intelligence.
Experts suggest that Russian security services have become more active abroad following the expulsion of suspected intelligence agents after the Ukraine invasion. They are increasingly using proxies, such as criminal gangs, to carry out attacks on dissidents. The goal appears to be intimidation, to silence critics and instill fear in those who oppose the Russian government. La BBC. Es una forma de disuadir la aparición de algún tipo de oposición política coherente [al Kremlin]. Olesya Krivtsova tuvo que salir de Rusia después de ser amenazada con tiempo en la cárcel por publicar mensajes anti-guerra. Las autoridades rusas también intentan hacer la vida cotidiana lo más difícil posible para los opositores en el extranjero. La activista Olesya Krivtsova, de 21 años, escapó de Rusia después de ser arrestada y amenazada con la cárcel por publicaciones anti-guerra en las redes sociales. Ahora vive en Noruega, pero recientemente descubrió que su pasaporte ruso había sido cancelado, lo que significa que no puede solicitar documentos de viaje. “Creo que esto es un nuevo [método] de represión”, dice Olesya. “Siempre están pensando, ¿cómo podemos hacer más, cómo podemos presionarlos?” Varios otros activistas que viven en el extranjero también han tenido sus pasaportes cancelados sin previo aviso. Muchos tienen casos penales abiertos en su contra en Rusia – sin un pasaporte válido, no pueden contratar abogados o hacer pagos en su país. La única forma de resolver el problema es regresar a Rusia. Para Olesya, regresar significaría arresto y prisión. Ahora ha solicitado una identificación temporal noruega para refugiados. “En Rusia, ahora solo tengo un derecho – el derecho a ir a la cárcel. Mi pasaporte está cancelado. Esto muestra la esencia de su crueldad”, dice la joven activista. “Ya han destruido por completo mi vida y la de mi familia…Nunca van a parar”.