Russia wants to financially asphyxiate exiles “who support the enemy”

In Russia, the power is not content to hunt down opponents inside the country and sentence them to heavy prison terms, it is now looking for ways to reach those who have gone into exile and who criticize the regime or s oppose the war in Ukraine from abroad. The Duma is currently preparing a law that aims to sanction these exiles financially through all their potential sources of income in Russia.

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Although there are no longer any dissenting voices in Russia, there are still some criticisms from abroad, in particular some exiled Russian song or film stars whose remarks manage to circumvent the blocking of Internet sites to reach to the ears of part of the urban youth. These criticisms, although rare, must also be silent according to the president of the Culture Committee of the Duma, Elena Yampolskaïa. “I am convinced that we must always act strictly within the law against those who directly support the enemy and deny their homeland, explains Elena Yampolskaya. For most of the dead stars, Russia is not their homeland but a land of welcome. We must therefore methodically cut off their sources of subsistence.”

The objective is therefore clear: exiled Russians should no longer be able to continue to receive royalties, rents or any other form of income from Russia. Unable to imprison them, the authorities seek to asphyxiate them financially. The Duma currently has around 30 bills on this subject in preparation. Some also plan to strip the exiles of all their titles and decorations. The texts could be adopted before the summer.