Russia Passes Bill Blocking Exiled Dissidents From Banking, Property, and Passports

Russia’s State Duma  passed a bill in two consecutive readings that introduces sweeping restrictions on citizens convicted in absentia who reside abroad, according to The Moscow Times on July 22.

The legislation, which takes effect immediately upon official publication without a transition period, targets individuals convicted under administrative or criminal charges whom Russian authorities deem to be evading punishment.

The scope of the bill focuses heavily on political offenses, including non-compliance with the “foreign agent” law , involvement with “undesirable organizations,” “discrediting” the Russian military, and calling for sanctions or territorial disruption.

However, the restrictive measures can be applied to convictions under any section of the Russian Criminal Code, The Moscow Times reported.

Under the measures, individuals placed on an official blacklist maintained by the Prosecutor General’s Office face a complete ban on remote banking, a freeze on money and property, and exclusion from electronic state services, including the Gosuslugi portal . Furthermore, Russian embassies and consulates worldwide will cease processing citizenship renunciation requests, issuing foreign passports, or conducting standard consular actions, with the sole exception of issuing certificates confirming an individual is alive.

The law also prohibits affected individuals from registering as self-employed or business owners, receiving state benefits, obtaining loans, or authorizing third parties through power of attorney, according to The Moscow Times.

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Legal advocacy group First Department described the measures as a “de facto deprivation of citizenship,” noting that affected individuals essentially receive the status of an internally “canceled citizen.” The organization explained that “a person who left for political reasons and is recognized as 'evading' receives the status of an internally 'canceled citizen.'

Everything related to the Russian Federation—property, accounts, business, consular services—can be used against them, while they themselves are practically deprived of any ability to use it to their advantage,” as cited by The Moscow Times.

Defending the legislation, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin stated that “those who left need to think about how to appear before the court with a confession.” Volodin asserted that the restrictions target “extremists, traitors to the motherland” who seek to “destroy the state, justify Nazism, and insult military personnel before hiding abroad to escape justice,” according to The Moscow Times.

The new restrictions follow earlier legislative efforts to target anti-war emigrants, including a law allowing Russian authorities to seize the domestic property of citizens living abroad under political charges.

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