Russia’s parliament has approved a new law that imposes sweeping restrictions on citizens living abroad who are facing criminal prosecution in the country on what critics describe as politically motivated charges.
The legislation, passed by the State Duma on Wednesday during its second and third readings, authorises authorities to freeze bank accounts, restrict access to property and deny a range of state and consular services to affected individuals.
Speaking before the vote, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said the law was aimed at people accused of acting against Russia’s interests.
“We are talking about those who harm our country,” Volodin said. “About extremists, traitors to our homeland. Those who for years have tried to do everything to destroy our state. Who justify Nazism and insult our soldiers and officers, while hiding from punishment in other states.”
Under the new legislation, Russians living outside the country who are deemed to be avoiding prosecution will no longer be able to sell property or vehicles in Russia. Their bank accounts may be frozen, banking app access suspended, licences and accreditations revoked, while consular services—including the issuance of international passports and certification of legal documents such as wills and powers of attorney—can also be denied.
The restrictions will also apply to individuals previously punished under Russia’s foreign agents legislation, as well as those accused of calling for sanctions against the country, questioning Russia’s territorial integrity, discrediting the armed forces, or participating in organisations banned by the Kremlin.
The law is expected to take effect immediately after its official publication, with no grace period.
The latest measure is part of a broader crackdown on dissent that has intensified since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Within days of the invasion, lawmakers introduced legislation criminalising the spread of what authorities describe as false information about the military, an offence punishable by up to 15 years in prison. They also made “discrediting” the armed forces a criminal offence.
At the same time, Russia’s communications regulator ordered media organisations to avoid using terms such as “war,” “invasion,” or “assault” when referring to the conflict, prompting many independent news outlets to suspend operations or shut down.
Since then, Russia has repeatedly expanded its foreign agents law, allowing individuals—not just organisations—to be designated as foreign agents, a status that carries significant restrictions on banking, travel and public activities.
Authorities have also blocked more than 25,000 websites by mid-2025, while hundreds of thousands of Russians are estimated to have left the country following the invasion of Ukraine.
Human rights lawyers have strongly criticised the legislation, arguing that it effectively strips political exiles of many of the rights associated with citizenship.
The legal advocacy group First Department described the law as amounting to “de facto deprivation of citizenship.”
“A person who left for political reasons and has been recognised as ‘evading’ acquires the status of an internally ‘cancelled citizen’,” the group said.
“Everything connected with the Russian Federation — property, accounts, business, consular services — can be used against them, while they themselves are practically deprived of any opportunity to use this in their own interests.”
Independent rights organisation OVD-Info said the law is likely to affect political activists, journalists, lawyers, individuals listed as foreign agents and people linked to groups designated by the Russian government as extremist, undesirable or terrorist.
According to OVD-Info, at least 692 people had been prosecuted under Russia’s laws against spreading false information or discrediting the military between 2022 and September 2025, while 1,299 people had faced criminal charges for anti-war activities, with 373 still behind bars by the end of 2025.
