Former KGB colonel turned dictator and international war criminal…

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 4 signed a law imposing sweeping signed a law imposing sweeping financial, digital, and consular restrictions on Russian citizens living abroad who have been convicted in absentia, including under laws commonly used against Kremlin critics.

It covers convictions under any article of Russia’s Criminal Code, as well as several administrative offenses frequently used against government critics. These include violating Russia’s “foreign agents” law, participating in “undesirable” organizations, “discrediting” the Russian military, calling for sanctions against Russia, and challenging what Moscow considers Russia’s territorial integrity.

However, don’t think it’s merely a draconian measure aimed at regime critics and those who flee Russia:

Those placed on the list will have their Russian bank accounts and other assets frozen. They will be barred from online banking and Gosuslugi, Russia’s online government services portal, and prohibited from selling or transferring real estate and vehicles, obtaining loans, receiving certain state payments…

Just as Russia’s budget needs it most, a brand new source of money.

  • Fisting for Freedom@sh.itjust.works
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    11 hours ago

    When they did the mobilization in 2022 lots of young men with the means and good sense left Russia, but I guess this time they’d lose everything and be stranded in another country.

    • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works
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      5 hours ago

      Well if you had the means and good sense to leave Russia, but still kept all your assets in a Russian account, do you really have “good sense”…?

      • Fisting for Freedom@sh.itjust.works
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        4 hours ago

        Fair, but otoh, maybe you didn’t sell your apartment because your family was still living there or maybe you were using your bank account to send money home. There’s lots of reasons why people can’t make clean breaks and might have left things in Russia.