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Yekaterinburg's former mayor Yevgeny Roisman in 2012
Photo: Alexander Zemlianichenko/ AP
The Ministry of Justice in Moscow has classified the well-known Russian opposition politician Yevgeny Roisman as a foreign agent.
This was reported by the state news agency Interfax, citing the ministry.
In addition to Roisman, criminal defense lawyer Ilya Novikov, two journalists and two civil rights activists made it onto the list of those whom Russia believes to be agents of foreign influence.
According to Interfax, the ministry stated that those affected had received “financial resources from Ukraine” for political activities.
Since 2017, organizations, media and individuals in Russia can be referred to as "foreign agents".
If those affected are in or operate from Russia and at the same time receive money from abroad, they must disclose their funding and allow the authorities full visibility into their activities.
The classification is intended to fuel distrust against them and make their work in Russia more difficult.
Brief arrest in August
The opposition Roisman was once the mayor of Yekaterinburg.
He runs a charitable foundation and an icon museum in Yekaterinburg, where he enjoys great popularity.
As one of the last Kremlin critics, Roisman is currently still at large.
However, he was briefly arrested in August.
According to media reports, he is accused of spreading false news about the Russian army in the war of aggression against Ukraine.
(Read here a column by Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar about how he was made a “foreign agent” in late October — the week he married his partner.)
In a video in August, Roisman said that the specific point was that he had spoken of an "invasion of Ukraine".
The statement is banned in Russia.
The war of aggression against the neighboring country must officially be described there as a »military special operation«.
The Russian judiciary has already prosecuted numerous activists who described or criticized Russia's actions as war.
Several are in custody.
kko/dpa
