Moscow Labels 55 Groups It Says are Part of ‘Anti-Russian Separatist Movement’ Extremist in New Attack on Regionalist and Ethnic Movements

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Jul 25 – Earlier this year, Moscow declared the non-existent Anti-Russian Separatist Movement extremist (https://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2024/04/russian-justice-ministry-calls-for.html); and now it has declared 55 other groups, most of which do exist, extremist as well and thus subject to intensified harassment and persecution.

            This justice ministry action (minjust.gov.ru/ru/documents/7822/) is clearly intended to give content to Moscow’s claims that an Anti-Russian Separatist Movement actually exists and then use it to mobilize the population and the authorities against the supposed manifestations of a single enemy of Russia.

            On the new list are groups like the Free Buryatia Foundation, the Free Ingria Movement, the World Chechen Congress and the Crimson Wedge movement in the Kuban (themoscowtimes.com/2024/07/26/moscow-labels-dozens-of-indigenous-groups-free-russia-foundation-as-extremist-a85833 and kavkazr.com/a/dvizhenie-za-nezavisimostj-krasnodarskogo-kraya-zapretili-na-territorii-rossii/33051622.html).

            Many of the leaders of these groups said the charges were nonsense and that they would both challenge in court the identification of their groups as extremist and continue to operate as they have up to now. But this sweeping action suggests that the Putin regime is now going to devote more attention to groups that it clearly sees as a growing threat.