EU lawmakers on easing the opening of bank accounts and obtaining visas for Russian opposition

The European Parliament adopted a resolution in connection with the murder of Alexey Navalny. It openly questions the legitimacy of Vladimir Putin as the president of Russia - which raises the question of creating an independent service for online voting by Russians outside Russia and within the country. It's impossible to win elections against Putin (and Lukashenko), who organizes and counts by himself - a service like Change.org is needed, (only with full KYC at the level of opening bank accounts in digital banks in the UK, Europe, and the USA). Yulia Navalnaya wrote about this in The Washington Post: she called on the West not to recognize the results of elections in Russia, not to recognize Putin himself as the legitimate head of state. In this context, if Navalny himself were still alive - he wouldn't need to participate in elections organized by Putin, he needed to conduct his own elections. But he didn't have time.?

The European Parliament calls on EU member states to expand and simplify the program of issuing humanitarian visas for Russian human rights defenders, democratic activists, and independent journalists who face political persecution.?

It calls for simplifying the processes for Russian dissidents to register organizations and legal entities in the EU, open bank accounts, and carry out other administrative needs so that they can continue their work in exile. “For the first time, the resolution mentions the problem with bank accounts. Supporting Russian political prisoners and civil society, the problems with opening accounts for those who were forced to leave Russia - this was not previously officially recorded by the European Parliament. This is an important step that will help us move forward," said Petar Tanev, a freelance advisor to the Bulgarian delegation to the European Parliament and consultant for the Free Russia Foundation, who participated in the promotion of the resolution project.?

Earlier EU lawmakers suggested issuing special passports to Russians who disagree with the war. Four MEPs (Andrius Kubilius from Lithuania, W?odzimierz Cimoszewicz from Poland, Bernard Guetta from France and Sergey Lagodinsky from Germany) have prepared a draft report with recommendations on political relations between the EU and Russians. The document notes the importance of cooperation and support for the Russian democratic opposition and proposes to create "passports of democracy" and special visa conditions for representatives of the opposition and civil society. Such passports should allow Russians to stay and work safely in EU member states for the period of expulsion from Russia.

Sergey Lagodinsky advocated for it to be precisely a resolution. There was some discussion about the title of the resolution - clearly, the main emphasis should be made on the fact of Navalny's murder, but it was necessary to understand what to do next with Russian political prisoners who continue to sit in prisons and with civil society, which is subjected to repression, about the problems of which Yulia Navalnaya spoke in her speech to the Council of Ministers of the EU. For MEPs, Navalny's murder became a kind of trigger - they started paying more attention to the problems of civil society in Russia, and the need for a new EU support approach, as seen in the resolution.

“The Russian government and Vladimir Putin personally bear criminal and political responsibility for the murder of their main opponent Alexey Navalny, and under such circumstances, the question of the legitimacy of Vladimir Putin arises. The European Parliament expresses support for Yulia Navalnaya in her endeavor to continue the work started by her husband - and the Anti-Corruption Foundation founded by Alexey Navalny.” “The European Parliament expresses solidarity with all people in Russia and beyond, who, despite "totalitarian repression," continue to "speak the truth and fight for a democratic and peaceful future for Russia." Calls for intensified efforts to find real ways to release the most affected political prisoners, especially those with diseases or subjected to torture, - including the possibility of a prisoner exchange. Calls for avoiding unjustified and disproportionate restrictive measures against individuals seeking asylum from the current Russian government and fighting against it.”

EU lawmakers suggested issuing special passports to Russians who disagree with the war. The "passports of democracy" may be put into circulation as early as next year.?Four MEPs have prepared a draft report with recommendations on political relations between the EU and Russians. The document notes the importance of cooperation and support for the Russian democratic opposition and proposes to create "passports of democracy" and special visa conditions for representatives of the opposition and civil society. Such passports should allow Russians to stay and work safely in EU member states for the period of expulsion from Russia.?Final approval of the report by the European Parliament is scheduled for March 2024. The emergence of "passports of democracy" is quite likely, says Petar Tanev. "There is no regulatory framework for the creation of a new passport yet, but it may be introduced on the basis of special visa procedures and agreements between EU member states as a start. I think such a step could well be taken after the 2024 elections. And the new EU Migration Pact, which will improve the asylum procedure, may facilitate this," says Tanev.?

And there are historical examples: in 1922, Russian emigrants in Europe began to be issued Nansen passports. The document was designed to make life easier for people fleeing repression and red terror.

Yulia Navalnaya wrote in The Washington Post: she called on the West not to recognize the results of elections in Russia, not to recognize Putin himself as the legitimate head of state. "Putin seized power in Russia, where he can declare himself the legitimate president or even crown himself as heir to the Russian czars. But why do democratic countries continue to recognize his criminal authority as legitimate? Why do fairly elected world leaders put themselves on the same level as a criminal who has for decades falsified elections, killed, imprisoned or forced out of the country all his critics, and now has unleashed a bloody war in Europe by attacking Ukraine?" "I’m not promising that refusing to recognize the results of the Russian presidential elections this weekend would lead to the instant collapse of the Putin government. But it would be an important signal to civil society in Russia and the elites still loyal to Putin, as well as to the world, that Russia is ruled not by a president recognized by all, but by someone who is despised and publicly condemned." "To ensure that the Putin’s rule doesn’t survive another crisis, including those caused by military setbacks in Ukraine, it is essential to support the forces that continue to resist from within Russia." "Do not believe that everyone in Russia supports Putin and his war. Russia is under a harsh dictatorship." "I call on political leaders of the West to help all Russian citizens who stand up against Putin’s gang. I urge you to finally hear the voice of free Russia and take a principled stand against him — to not recognize the results of the falsified elections, to not recognize Putin as the legitimate president of Russia."

The Kremlin wants Russians to associate the size of the country with its strength and prestige. However, in the modern world, a country's size does not guarantee its economic prosperity or political power (and at some point, territorial expansion becomes colonialism). The Kremlin plans to pursue Russians who speak out against the war worldwide. Freedom House mentioned in its report back in 2021 that Russia conducts "aggressive transnational repressive activities" abroad. At that time, human rights defenders noted that tools such as Interpol searches, surveillance, and hacking attacks are used against individuals the Kremlin perceives as threats to its security. Safe countries for Russians who publicly oppose the war in Ukraine are those with democratic procedures and practices: the European Union, the USA, Australia, Japan. In all other countries, there are risks for Russian citizens. Particular caution should be exercised in countries bordering Russia, where local law enforcement may detain a Russian and transport them to the border to hand them over to Russian special services or other state bodies.

Navalny turned out to be Hari Seldon. As Isaac Asimov wrote in "Foundation": "Ironically, political struggle, revolutions, wars - all these are signs of life. And now - there's a kind of universal fatigue. Everything is calm - but not because people are happy, but because they are tired and have given up." "'Imperial ambitions,' as they are often called, are like a disease that, once contracted, induces madness. And the closer you get to the coveted goal, the more likely you are to catch this infection, and with each subsequent advancement up the career ladder... the disease intensifies even more."