Russia threatens former chess champion Garry Kasparov with criminal charges
2450 Sunday, 02 June, 2024, 18:36 Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, who fled Russia a decade ago for fear of persecution, may face a criminal case in Moscow for violating the Kremlin’s “foreign agent” law, state media reported on Sunday. Russian law enforcement officials, the TASS news agency reported, said there is “every reason” to charge Kasparov, without providing further details. The democracy activist, a fierce critic of President Vladimir Putin, could face up to two years in prison or a fine if a case is initiated, the unnamed officials said. Kasparov’s media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In April, RadioFreeEurope reported in English based on reports in Russian media that a court in Russia’s Komi region had issued an arrest warrant for Kasparov on terrorism charges, a month after adding the former chess grandmaster to its list of terrorists and extremists. “I am a terrorist in Russia; I have graduated from ‘foreign agent’ to ‘extremist,’ and now I am a ‘terrorist,” he confirmed in an interview with The Jerusalem Post published Sunday. “Many of my colleagues are [also called] ‘terrorists.'”In that interview, Kasparov suggested that Hamas’s October 7 attack, which triggered the ongoing war between Israel and the terror group, was “conveniently timed by Putin to divert attention from the war in Ukraine.” Russia added Kasparov to its list of individuals acting as foreign agents, which includes dozens of critics of Vladimir Putin, soon after the Russian president launched his full-scale invasion on Ukraine in 2022. According to the law, a foreign agent is a person who receives support from foreign states or is under foreign influence and is engaged in political activities in Russia. |
Cargo Plane Shot Down in Sudan, Russians Potentially Onboard, Russian Embassy Reports
314Yesterday, 21:36Lula Cancels BRICS Trip to Russia After Suffering Head Injury
54020.10.2024, 23:36In the simulated scenario of a Russian attack on NATO, the alliance needs 10 days to apply the fifth article, and German troops play a key role in protecting the Baltic states (photo)
48719.10.2024, 23:54Turkey fears new wave of refugees as Israel continues Lebanon offensive
55819.10.2024, 19:06Netanyahu says he is undeterred after drone targets his home
60819.10.2024, 18:36Outage hits Cuba after major power plant fails
56118.10.2024, 22:30Man arrested outside Trump Coachella rally denies assassination intent; he's 'all in' supporting Trump
83117.10.2024, 03:00Zelenskyy to unveil ‘victory plan’ after presenting it to Western allies
81316.10.2024, 18:42