Serbia expels another Russian with anti-war stance

Serbia has refused to extend the residence permit of Russian Anton Bobryshev and ordered him to leave the country within a month. This was reported by the Russian Democratic Society (RDO), the Serbian service of Radio Liberty reports.

Bobryshev has been living in Serbia with his wife for eight years and wanted to extend his residence permit on the basis of his ownership of real estate, RDO clarified. However, the Ministry of Internal Affairs rejected Bobryshev's request due to “threats to the country's security” and ordered him to leave Serbia by October 19. The Russian is appealing both decisions, and his lawyer has filed a motion to defer his departure.

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The RDO said that Bobryshev had repeatedly participated in anti-war protests in Belgrade, and in June 2023, he organized a rally in support of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny. The RDO calls the decision on Bobryshev another example of “persecution of Russian citizens in Serbia for their anti-war views.”

Since July 2023, Serbian authorities have refused to extend or obtain residence permits for several more Russians – also for reasons related to the country's security. It is known that among them are two anti-war activists and two families with children. The Serbian police and Security Agency did not respond to questions from Radio Liberty.

BAGNET notes that Serbia has not yet joined Western sanctions in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and Serbian officials are among the few in Europe who meet with Kremlin representatives.

Prepared by: Sergey Daga