EXPLAINING THE STRUGGLE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN RUSSIA |
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Hello and welcome back to the Digest. |
Today we’re discussing how western deportations affect Russian exiles. |
In solidarity, Dan Storyev |
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Trigger warning:
This is a newsletter about Russian repressions. Sometimes it will be hard to read. |
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I often say that the plight of Russian dissidents is global, and is not limited to those who are still in Russia. What I typically mean by this are transnational repressions carried out by the Kremlin. We covered the kidnapping of Lev Skoryakin and extralegal pressure in Kyrgyzstan, the detention of the band Bi-2 in Thailand, the deportations in Vietnam and more. In our advocacy we typically say that transnational repression highlights the need to provide shelter to Russian exiles in safer, western countries — the US, EU, Canada and so on.
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However, now even those presumably safer countries are rapidly becoming less safe. Germany, with its rising anti-migrant sentiment, stopped issuing humanitarian visas, which were a vital lifeline for dissidents all around the world. You might remember the Moskalev family. Masha, then 10 years of age, drew an anti-war doodle in class. The repression against her family after that led to her dad, Aleksei Moskalev, being imprisoned for about a year. Aleksei served his sentence and wanted to move to Germany with Masha — only to be refused a visa.
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Masha and Aleksei Moskalev on the day of Alexei's release from prison, 15 October 2024 / Photo: OVD-Info |
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It is not just Germany, of course. Immigration rules around the world are getting tougher. Russian dissidents are branded as treacherous and undesirable, stereotyped as tools of the Kremlin — even though many of them have spent their lives trying to combat the Kremlin’s assault on civil society, and are now fleeing persecution.
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We also know, thanks to the New York Times’ reporting, that Russian exiles have to suffer through Trump’s family separation policy. The article outlines the haunting story of the Snegir family. Pavel and his 11-year-old son Alexandr sought safety in the US after Alexandr’s mother was jailed by Russian authorities. However, instead of safety they were met with further humiliation, as Pavel was thrown to the ground and handcuffed in front of his son, who had already witnessed his mom’s arrest in Russia. There are also Evgeniia and Evgeny, whose 8-years-old was taken from as the couple refused to leave for Russia, where they fear political persecution. Both families weren’t allowed to see their children in months.
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Read more about transnational repression in our in-depth report. | |
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Exiles are also being deported from the US back to Russia, put at risk of further persecution for their pro-democracy and anti-war stance. Take the case of 27-year-old Yevgeny Mashinin. Hailing from Kovrov, a small town in European Russia, Yevgeny fled the country in 2023 after years of activism. In 2022 he was fined for participating in an anti-war rally and in 2017 and 2021 he was detained for participating in Navalny’s rallies. In 2023 the European Court of Human Rights awarded Yevgeny €5,000 for the persecution he faced. Yevgeny’s case was credible enough for EU judges — but not for the US.
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Yevgeny Mashinin posing in front of the US-Mexico border wall / Photo: Dovod |
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He spent over a year in a Texas migration jail. In his conversation with Mediazona Yevgeny recounts the ordeal: a hundred people in one cell, constant noise, impossible to sleep and bad food. Deported this January back to Russia, Yevgeny was greeted by cops at the tarmac. They immediately took him in for questioning but eventually let him go.
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A few days later they came to Yevgeny’s house, detaining him for two days and fining him roughly 440 USD for “discrediting the military.” Yevgeny fled Russia again the same month. |
Leonid Melekhin, 34, was even less lucky. The activist from Perm, a major city in the Urals, fled Russia in 2023. In 2024 he crossed into the US via Mexico. In San Diego Leonid says he worked as a janitor for 1 dollar per day. In 2025 he lost his asylum case. He didn’t have a lawyer. He was transported to the infamous San Luis jail in Arizona. |
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In Russia he was a regular at street protests and pro-democracy events. Before leaving the country Leonid hung a poster off a bridge saying “Putin is a murderous fascist usurper. All that is needed for the triumph of evil is the inaction of good people. The fascist needs to be hanged.” Of course, once deported to Russia Leonid was met by authorities, who charged him with “justifying terrorism.” The investigation is still ongoing.
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| Leonid Melekhin on the US-Mexico border / Photo: “Бобр.Туда и обратно (дневник иммиграции)” Telegram channel |
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“There are actually a lot of deportations,” Yevgeny Melekhin told Mediazona. “One of my cellmates already lost a case with the same judge as me. The second one — he has already filed an appeal — is on the federal wanted list in Russia. If he is deported, he will also be arrested.” |
This is happening right now. Russian dissidents, who have dedicated their lives to combatting the Kremlin, are being turned away by the west. The very same west whose politicians pontificate about the need for everyday Russians to accept democratic values and rise up against the regime. If you want to help Russians flee this repressive regime and continue advocating for democracy in safety — you can. Call your representatives, donate to organisations such as Get Lost, read and share independent media coverage on Russia. Every bit helps.
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Sources cited in the reading list are not necessarily aligned or in a formal partnership with us. It is just what the editor finds interesting. |
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The Digest is created by OVD-Info, written by Dan Storyev, edited by Dr Lauren McCarthy |
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