The Libertarian Party of Russia (LPR) announced it is suspending operations after the Justice Ministry designated it a 'foreign agent.' The party said it will no longer engage in political or educational work and will stop accepting new supporters.
'Unfortunately, in the current situation we have exhausted our resources to resist pressure and can no longer guarantee the safety of our supporters in Russia. … See you in the Russia of the future — whatever it may be,' the party said in a statement published on its Telegram channel.
The Justice Ministry added the LPR to the foreign agents list on July 17, alleging that the party spread 'fakes' about Russian authorities and the electoral system, opposed the invasion of Ukraine, and called for 'violation of Russia's territorial integrity.'
The foreign agents register now lists 24 individuals linked to the party, including current LPR chairwoman Marina Matsapulina and SVTV founder Mikhail Svetov.
In 2020, the unregistered Libertarian Party of Russia split into two organizations with the same name and symbols. The 'foreign agent' designation applies to the faction associated with Svetov.
Days after the ministry's decision, Mikhail Svetov, who has emigrated from Russia, was arrested in absentia on charges of violating foreign agent requirements (Part 2 of Article 330.1 of the Criminal Code).