Read all about the conflict in Ukraine in our file.
Reminiscent of the “enemies of the people” during the Soviet era, the label is often used by the Russian authorities against opponents, journalists and human rights activists accused of foreign-funded political activities. “Foreign agents” are subject to all kinds of restrictions and procedures, under pain of severe sanctions. For example, they must state that statute with every publication.
According to the ministry, Khodorkovsky, 58, and Kasparov, 59, have “sources” in Ukraine to fund their activities.
Kasparov, former world chess champion, has long been an opponent of Putin. He has been living in exile in the United States for nearly ten years. Khodorkovsky was one of Russia’s most powerful businessmen in the 1990s, until he evolved into an opponent of the Kremlin in 2000, when Putin came to power. He was imprisoned from 2003 to 2013 and has been living in exile ever since. For years he also financed the opposition organization Open Russia in Russia, until it dissolved itself in 2021 due to increasing repression.