Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree creating an interagency commission to implement a law imposing restrictions on Russians abroad who have been convicted in absentia. The commission will be headed by Justice Minister Konstantin Chuichenko and will include representatives from the Justice Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the Federal Tax Service, the Federal Security Service (FSB), the financial watchdog Rosfinmonitoring, and the Prosecutor General's Office.
According to Meduza, the commission will consider granting monthly "humanitarian allowances" to relatives of Russians convicted in absentia, checking whether they meet the criteria for such payments. Relatives will receive an amount equal to the minimum wage if they have no independent income. The payments are to be funded from the frozen money or other property of the convicted person.
The commission's creation implements the law "On temporary restrictive measures against persons outside Russia who evade punishment," which took effect in early August. On social media, it has been dubbed the "law on civil death."
Under the law, Russians abroad who have been sentenced in absentia in Russia to administrative punishment for failing to fulfill "foreign agent" duties, "discrediting the army," calling for sanctions, or participating in "undesirable" organizations, as well as to criminal punishment under any article of the Criminal Code, face restrictions on their rights.
They are barred from obtaining new foreign passports, having powers of attorney certified at consulates, and using their money and property in Russia. Their driver's licenses are annulled, they cannot register as individual entrepreneurs or take out loans, and they are denied access to state services and notary services.
According to Radio Liberty, the restrictive measures target primarily Russians who left the country due to disagreement with the war in Ukraine and repressive domestic policies. Meduza notes that authorities did not hide their intention to use the law for political persecution of dissenters even during its drafting. The outlet also reports that such Russians will be added to a kind of "enemies of the people" list that the Justice Ministry is already testing.