Moscow Court Issues In Absentia Arrest Warrant for Nemtsova Over ‘Undesirable’ NGO
A Moscow court ordered the arrest in absentia of Zhanna Nemtsova, daughter of the slain opposition figure Boris Nemtsov, for her role in a foundation deemed an “undesirable organisation.”
A court in Russia’s capital has sentenced Zhanna Nemtsova, the daughter of murdered opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, to arrest in absentia, accusing her of involvement with an “undesirable organisation.” The charge relates to her co-founding of the Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom, a Berlin-registered NGO that Russia banned in 2024. Nemtsova, who fled Russia in 2015 following her father’s killing, responded on Facebook by noting the ruling had made her “famous.”
Under Russian legislation, individuals can face up to five years in prison for funding such entities and up to six years for organizing them. Nemtsova’s foundation remains active in Bonn, Germany. The case underscores the Kremlin’s continued crackdown on groups it deems a threat to national security.
Why it matters
It shows Russia’s expanding use of “undesirable” designations to target opposition figures abroad.
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