An anti-Russian group in Serbia said on Tuesday that authorities had refused to extend the residence permit of one of its activists, a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Russian Democratic Society said one of its founders, Vladimir Volokhonsky, had all the necessary documents, but authorities cited security risks as the reason for their decision.
Serbian police had no comment. A security review of Volokhonsky’s case revealed unspecified “obstacles” to extending his stay, a copy of the police document provided by the Russian group said.
Earlier this month, Serbian police temporarily barred the entry of another well-known Russian anti-war activist, Petr Nikitin, who was forced to spend more than a day at Belgrade’s airport before being allowed in.
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An anti-Russian activist faces a denial of a residence permit in Serbia due to security risks. (Fox News)
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The Balkan nation has maintained friendly relations with Russia and has not joined Western sanctions against Moscow despite condemning the attack on Ukraine.
The United States recently imposed sanctions on Serbia’s pro-Russian intelligence chief Aleksandar Villan, accusing him of crimes and corruption. Serbian media have reported that Villan wiretapped a meeting of the Russian opposition in Belgrade in 2021, which he has denied.
Volokhonsky, an opposition politician from St. Petersburg, fled to Serbia after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, his organization said. The group said his return to Russia would mean imprisonment.
About 200,000 Russian citizens are believed to have fled to Serbia since the start of the war because the fellow Slavic nation does not require visas for Russians.
Source by [Fox News]
