Russian antiwar group in Serbia says authorities have rejected activist’s residence permit
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Digital Subscription
One year of digital access for only $205*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/07/2023 (1156 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — A Russian antiwar group in Serbia said Tuesday that authorities have refused to extend the residence permit of one of its activists, a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Russian Democratic Society said one of its founders, Vladimir Volokhonski, had all the necessary documentation but the authorities cited a security risk as the reason for their decision.
Serbian police have not commented. A copy of a police document provided by the Russian group said a security assessment of Volokhonski’s case showed unspecified “obstacles” for the extension of his stay.
Earlier this month, Serbian police temporarily banned entry to another prominent Russian antiwar activist, Peter Nikitin, who was forced to spend more than a day at the Belgrade airport before he was allowed in.
The Balkan nation has maintained friendly relations with Russia and has not joined Western sanctions against Moscow, despite condemning its invasion of Ukraine.
The United States recently imposed sanctions against Serbia’s pro-Russia intelligence chief, Aleksandar Vulin, accusing him of crimes and corruption. Serbian media have reported that Vulin wiretapped a Russian opposition meeting in Belgrade in 2021, which he has denied.
Volokhonski, an opposition politician from St. Petersburg, fled to Serbia after the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, his organization said. His return to Russia would mean imprisonment, the group said.
About 200,000 Russian citizens are believed to have fled to Serbia since the start of the war as the fellow-Slavic nation does not require visas for Russians.