Slovakia is trying to expel an anti-war Russian. In Russia, he could face prison

Slovakia is trying to expel an anti-war Russian. In Russia, he could face prison

In Slovakia, Russian anti-war activist Vladislav Novoshinsky has come under threat of deportation to Russia, a country he says he cannot return to without risking criminal prosecution.

Novoshinsky lives in Bratislava. His wife is also in Slovakia legally, has a residence permit, and works there. He himself came to the country on a work visa and then tried to arrange continued legal stay, including through family reunification with his spouse.

But instead of his case being handled normally, Slovak migration police issued him an administrative expulsion order. According to Novoshinsky, he was not provided with a lawyer during the procedure, and the interpreter incorrectly explained the contents of the documents. As a result, he signed papers without understanding that he was effectively waiving his right to appeal.

Later, a Slovak court said that Novoshinsky indeed may not have understood the consequences of such a waiver. The court also noted that he could face persecution in Russia because of his political views.

The main problem is that returning to Russia for Novoshinsky is not just a formality. He openly spoke out against the war, criticized the Russian authorities, and published anti-war posts. In addition, he took part in the Forum of the Russian Opposition in Support of Ukraine, which was held in Warsaw and was devoted, among other things, to support for Russian volunteers fighting on Ukraine’s side.

1️⃣ In Russia, such a public stance is grounds for a criminal case and a long prison term. Support for anti-war initiatives, contacts with opposition structures, and participation in events in support of Ukraine are increasingly interpreted by the Russian authorities as “extremism,” “terrorism,” or “assisting terrorist activity.” For a person who is already on the radar of the Russian security services, this could mean many years in prison.

After the threat of expulsion, Novoshinsky applied for asylum. Slovakia’s migration office initially denied him, citing the fact that no criminal case has yet been opened against him in Russia. However, the court overturned that refusal and said that the migration authorities had not properly examined the evidence of the threat of persecution.

Novoshinsky says that his case is not the only one. According to him, the Slovak authorities are trying to deport several other Russian anti-war activists as well. Most of them do not want to reveal their names publicly: they hope to win their appeals and fear additional pressure.

One of those willing to speak openly is German Semenko. He took part in protests in Russia starting in 2012, was repeatedly detained, appeared on opposition lists, and, according to him, was on the radar of Center “E.” Despite this, Slovakia has already twice denied him asylum.

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