Russia revokes citizenship of eight over alleged national security threats

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), together with the Interior Ministry, has revoked the Russian citizenship of eight people originally from Central Asia and the South Caucasus, citing actions that authorities said posed a threat to national security.

According to the FSB, several of those affected were residents of the Stavropol region and the Republic of Adygea. They were accused of promoting negative attitudes toward Russian culture, calling for sabotage of support for participants in the war, making extremist statements and inciting ethnic hatred.

Three other residents of the Tver region were accused by the security service of involvement in the illicit trade in counterfeit alcohol and tobacco, the fraudulent registration of foreign nationals and other offences.

The FSB also revoked the citizenship of a resident of the Chelyabinsk region, whom it accused of organising an illegal prayer house and promoting the activities of a religious association banned in Russia.

By Tamilla Hasanova