The Russian Ministry of Justice has declared prominent environmentalist Vladimir Slivyak a foreign agent in a press statement issued by Germany’s emergency environment organization on Tuesday.
“My classification as a ‘foreign agent’ is once again a testament to the great fear of civil society by the Russian regime,” Slivyak said. The ministry announced its decision on Friday, proving Slivyak’s criticism of the invasion of Ukraine.
Slivyak is famous for opposing nuclear waste transport. The Ecodefense organization he founded was one of the earliest organizations to be listed as a “foreign agent” in 2014.
In 2021, he won the Right Livelihood Award, which was regarded as the Nobel Prize by many. Shortly after the invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, Slivyak left Russia for Germany.
The Russian authorities established a register of foreign agents in 2012, initially listing only organizations, but also starting in 2020. Now, the Justice Department has nearly 1,000 names on its blacklist, which is seen as a way for Silent activists.
Although foreign agents were initially considered to have received foreign funds, “foreign influence” alone is now enough to be blacklisted.
The people on the list are restricted, such as being banned from public work in Russia and generating income through public relations campaigns.
