Serbia expels Russian citizen for participating in anti-war protests

Russian citizen Elena Koposova, who has been living in Serbia with her family for four years and applied for permanent residence in August 2023, received a decision from the police not only rejecting her request, but ordering her to leave from Serbia within 30 days, – announced today the activist against the Russian war, Piotr Nikitin.

The reason for this, says Nikitin in a statement sent to the media, is the assessment of the Security Information Agency (BIA) that Elena, who is a literary translator, constitutes an “unacceptable security risk”.

According to the Law on Foreigners, there is an unacceptable risk to security if available information and knowledge indicate that the foreigner protects, instigates, assists, prepares or carries out activities that threaten the constitutional order and security of Serbia, goods protected by international and national laws, regional. and global security important for Serbia and the rule of law, said Mr. Nikitn, referring to article 9 paragraph three of the Law on Foreigners.

According to Nikitin, on March 5, 2022, Koposova, along with 25 other Russians living in Serbia, publicly signed an open speech by members of the Russian diaspora about the war in Ukraine, calling for a rally against the war and dictatorship, i which took place in Belgrade on March 6, and apart from that, she has never been involved in activism or politics.

This is perhaps the most shocking case of all the previous cases of persecution of Russians against the war in Serbia, which can have tragic consequences for an ordinary family, just because one man dared to publicly declare that he is against the bombing of peaceful cities and killing of people, said Nikitin, emphasizing that Koposova will appeal against this decision./Danas/