Chess grandmaster and political activist Garry Kasparov has been added to the list of “terrorists and extremists” by Russia’s financial watchdog, the Moscow Times reported.
The 60-year-old former world chess champion has been a long-time critic of President Vladimir Putin and has consistently condemned Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine.
Rosfinmonitoring, Russia’s financial monitoring agency, on Wednesday added Garry Kasparov to its unwanted list without explaining.
The listing restricts individuals’ bank transactions and requires them to get approval every time they want to use their accounts.
Kasparov fled Russia in 2014 out of fear of persecution.
In 2022, the Russian justice ministry placed Kasparov and former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky on its list of “foreign agents”, subjecting them to rigorous bureaucracy and financial reporting.
According to rights groups, the label is another instrument used by the Kremlin to stifle its opponents, alongside the “foreign agent” term used to describe persons it considers to be enemies of the state.
Kasparov is widely considered as one of the world’s finest chess players, and he has resided in the United States for almost a decade, focusing on political action.
In February last year, he urged the West to maintain its support for Kyiv, stating that Ukraine needed to defeat Moscow as a “pre-condition” for a democratic change in Russia.
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Vikram Sharma is a globe-trotting journalist with a global perspective on international events. His articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing insights into the world’s most pressing challenges.
