This infamous label, reminiscent of the “enemies of the people” of the Soviet period, is used massively against opponents, journalists and human rights activists accused of carrying out political activities financed abroad.
“Foreign agents” are subject to numerous constraints and tedious procedures, under threat of heavy penalties. In particular, they must indicate this status in all their publications.
In the updated list on its website, the Russian Ministry of Justice claims that Mikhail Khodorkovsky, 58, and Garry Kasparov, 59, have “sources” in Ukraine to finance their activities.
Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov has long opposed President Vladimir Putin and has lived in exile in the United States for nearly ten years.
Mikhail Khodorkovsky was one of Russia’s most powerful businessmen in the 1990s, before coming into opposition with the Kremlin when Mr Putin came to power in 2000.
He spent ten years in prison, between 2003 and 2013, and has since lived in exile. For years, he notably financed the opposition organization Open Russia in Russia, which dissolved itself in May 2021 in the face of growing repression.