Publication
Exiled and at Risk: Russian and Belarusian Dissidents in non-EU States
This research provides a comprehensive overview of transnational repression and politically motivated persecution of dissidents from Russia and Belarus in the countries of the South Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Western Balkans.
None of the countries in these regions can be considered fully safe for free voices. The methods used, both legal and extralegal, to pressure activists, journalists, and human rights defenders vary significantly in these countries. The methods include, among others, detention based on bilateral extradition requests, imprisonment pending extradition proceedings, deportations under fabricated pretexts, entry bans, revocation or denial of residence permits for activists, as well as cases of kidnapping and forced transfer to Russia.
This policy paper examines a wide spectrum of individuals affected by such pressure, ranging from those with so-called active criminal cases in their home countries to those without any documented charges who nonetheless attract the interest of security services due to their civic engagement or refusal to serve in the military during Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
Russia is a party to 96 bilateral agreements and a member of 20 international treaties on extradition. Since February 2022, the way extradition requests are handled has changed significantly. Having an agreement does not mean that a country will automatically respond to an extradition request. Depending on the strength of their legal systems, commitment to human rights, and political factors, countries may choose to cooperate or not in politically motivated cases involving Russian and Belarusian citizens.
The identification and work on such cases by human rights organizations is further complicated by the fact that Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and several other CIS countries use general criminal articles that exist in the criminal legislation of other states, such as “vandalism,” “terrorism,” and “extremism,” to pursue politically motivated cases. In Belarus, it is common to initiate criminal cases on economic charges against political opponents. In such cases, the political motivation of the cases is not immediately apparent and may lead to the execution of extradition or detention without scrutiny.
The paper recommends that a better understanding of how these countries cooperate with the Russian and Belarusian repressive regimes will shed more light on the extent of Kremlin influence in the region, and also underline the importance of support programs for dissidents, such as humanitarian visas, temporary travel documents, humanitarian residence permits, and access to asylum procedures.
Furthermore, in the context of ongoing discussions about establishing deportation hubs for individuals not entitled to remain in the European Union, it is essential to offer an objective analysis of how non-EU countries apply pressure on exiled individuals from other states.
