Jakarta –
Russian citizens returning to their country must undergo thorough screening and interrogation, if they have ever donated to Ukrainian organizations, commented on Russia’s war against Ukraine on the internet, or had “suspicious” visa entries in their passports. In some cases, they were even subjected to criminal proceedings.
Natalya (not her real name), crossed from Estonia into Russia in February 2024. She said a border officer checked her passport and found a category D Latvian visa, which can be converted into a long-term residence permit.
The border officer then asked him to follow him to a room for an “interview”, where he was interrogated by agents of Russia’s domestic intelligence service, the FSB. The agent asked about Natalya’s Latvian visa and asked about her views on “special military operations” into Ukraine.
The FSB agent also checked Natalya’s cell phone. “He didn’t find anything suspicious, but he copied my phone’s IMEI number,” Natalya told DW. This means that Natalya’s cellphone can be identified and its location known throughout the world.
According to Natalya, the interrogation lasted several hours. After that incident, he always entered Russia via Belarus. The border officers there didn’t check anything else, not even his cell phone.
Strict inspection since 2022
Russian border officials have since 2022 carried out thorough checks on people entering and leaving the country. Those specifically interrogated were people who had residence permits in other countries, or residence visas issued by Western countries.
If something “suspicious” is found, the person is then arrested on the pretext of having committed an offense such as swearing in public, disobeying a police officer or the like. In some cases, the arrest occurred days after the person entered Russia. “A person can be detained on the grounds of committing minor acts of hooliganism,” said Yevgeny Smirnov, a Russian lawyer.
This is what happened to 32-year-old Ksenia Karelina, who was previously known as Ksenia Khavana before her divorce, and became a naturalized US citizen in 2021. After entering Russia in January 2024, officials checked her phone. An FSB agent discovered that he had made a $51 donation to the Ukrainian-American foundation Razom for Ukraine. He was then accused of supporting the Ukrainian army and charged to court. Karelina was finally arrested in Yekaterinburg, where her parents lived.
Mobile phone check for “suspicious words”
“Russian border officers often search for certain keywords when checking a person’s smartphone messaging apps, emails and text messages,” lawyer Yevgeny Smirnov told DW. They usually check whether the phone owner has ever joined pro-Ukrainian message groups on social networks.
Officers also targeted people whose names were blacklisted by Russian security forces. These people often do not know that their names are on the blacklist. For example, this happened to Yuri Malev, a dual Russian-American citizen. The 60-year-old man entered Russia in December 2023 and was arrested in St. Petersburg. Petersburg two weeks later.
He was then taken to a detention center on charges of supporting and “rehabilitating Nazism.” As evidence, two posts made by Malev on the Russian social network Odnoklasseniki were presented as evidence opposing the war in Ukraine.
To prevent repression, diasporas wishing to return to Russia are advised to apply for new passports in advance, without “suspicious” visa entries, and prepare their mobile phones and laptops before entering Russia. They are also advised to use new phones with messaging apps and new social media profiles before traveling to Russia. Anastasia Burakova, founder of the Ark Project, a support group for Russians excommunicated for being anti-war, said that social media accounts should “contain pictures of baby kittens, or chats with your mother about non-political topics.”
(hp/as)
Also see ‘Russia Holds 2024 Presidential Election Today, Here Are the 4 Candidates’:
(ita/ita)
2024-03-15 06:18:46
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