Moscow mulls seizing property of critics who fled Russia

MOSCOW: The speaker of the lower house of the Russian parliament on Friday proposed confiscating the property of critics who move abroad and speak out against Moscow´s assault on Ukraine.

After President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, Russian authorities introduced long prison terms for people criticising the Kremlin´s offensive in the pro-Western country.

On Friday, State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said existing laws were not enough to crack down on critics. “Some of our fellow citizens consider it possible to insult Russia, its residents, soldiers and officers, and openly support villains, Nazis and murderers,” he said on the messaging app Telegram, using Kremlin terms for Ukrainian authorities.

Volodin pointed out that according to Russian legislation, such comments can be considered “rehabilitation of Nazism” and discrediting the armed forces. He called critics “miscreants” who enjoy life abroad and rent out their Russia-based property.

“They feel like they have impunity, believing that justice cannot reach them,” said Volodin, who is a close ally of Putin´s and toes the Kremlin line. He said that in current circumstances, it would be “right” to introduce a criminal law that would allow authorities to seize the property of such people.

He did not provide further details. If implemented, the new legislation would be a throwback to the darkest days of the Soviet Union. Separately, a member of the Kremlin´s rights council, Kirill Kabanov, pointed to multiple calls from Russian politicians to punish Kremlin critics who have fled. But he stressed it was important to legally define the term “traitor” first.