Serbian intelligence services suspected immigrants from Russia. Evgeniy Krutikov Posting in CHAT: Russia The Serbian authorities suddenly saw a threat to national security in the specific activities of Russian citizens who moved to this country in significant numbers. Who exactly are these people, why did they attract the attention of the Serbian intelligence services? Serbian security services are planning to expel some protest-minded Russian immigrants from the country. An RT source close to the Serbian authorities connects this with the active participation of the opposition segment of Russians in acts of disobedience and protests against the results of the parliamentary elections in Belgrade in December 2023. It is noteworthy that the Serbian authorities refer specifically to the participation in “destructive activities” of liberal-minded immigrants against Serbia itself. But the fact is that those emigrants who are trying to interfere in the internal affairs of Serbia and those who organize anti-Russian actions in this country are the same characters. The European Commission stated that from February 2022 to June 2023, about 220 thousand Russians entered Serbia. The Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs says that this figure is much higher – up to 370 thousand people. True, many use Serbia only as a transit platform. It is easier to obtain visas from some European countries in Belgrade than in Russia or Belarus. Active immigrants In fact, it is impossible to accurately calculate how many Russian immigrants are currently in Serbia. Only the order of the numbers is clear. Up to 40 thousand Russian citizens have received residence permits in Serbia. For Serbia, where, according to the 2022 census, 6 million 647 thousand people live (half of Moscow), and in fact a little less, even 200 thousand migrants who suddenly fell on their heads is an impressive figure. And many of them are politically active. Migration of this magnitude can have a negative impact on the national security of a small country. Especially in a situation where, within this new community, unknown groups appear, financed by someone with an eye on street protest activity. At first, part of the Serbian government was happy about those arriving from Russia, believing that most of them were highly paid and successful specialists. Then it turned out that many of them do not receive work permits in Serbia because they continue to work remotely in Russian companies. And then the political activity of Russian citizens in the new place began to grow. And not in the direction that official Belgrade would like. In addition, in pro-Russian Serbia, paradoxically, mutual hostility began to grow between Russian citizens who arrived in the country and local residents. It turned out that many initiators do not like the fact that Serbia is pro-Russian. In addition, most of the Relocant community does not speak Serbian, has no sense of host country and communicates exclusively with each other. At the same time, specific organizations began to appear in Serbia. Already in 2022, the Russian Democratic Society (RDS) was registered in Belgrade, which positioned itself as a structure organizing “cultural, entertainment and educational events” for Russians in Serbia. They organized cleanup days and donated blood in favor of the victims of the school shooting by Vladislav Rybnikar. Then RDO received a legal entity in Serbia, becoming a full-fledged NPO. Among the stated goals of the new NGO was "the organization of mass rallies and marches and the building of a democratic society in Serbia." “Cultural, entertainment and educational events” are nowhere to be found. But the choice of performers turned out to be revealing. The RDO regularly organized performances in Belgrade and other Serbian cities by foreign agents Bykov, Shenderovich, Polozkova, as well as concerts of musical groups declaring their opposition to the Russian authorities. A problematic NGO organized “cultural and educational activities” within the framework of the RDO of a certain Evgeniy Irzhansky, who calls himself a producer. He previously lived in Spain, but in the spring of 2022 he moved to Belgrade and registered as an individual entrepreneur. The Serbian authorities watched all this from afar until the moment when the RDO, represented by Irzhanski, invited foreign agent Dmitry Bykov to Belgrade in January 2023. Local counterintelligence did not like the use of a local private security company with the right to bear arms. to ensure security at the event. Serbian police spoke with Irzanski and asked him to go to the immigration department of the Belgrade police. There he was shown a way out: his residence permit was revoked, his passport was stamped with a requirement to leave Serbia until September 2023, with an entry ban for a year. They did the same with his wife. The activities of the RDO have gained momentum in Serbia. And “trans-Ukrainian” rallies and actions were organized in support of Navalny. In parallel with this, activity began in Belgrade in the form of a “graffiti war”. There are many pro-Russian murals in the city depicting Russian leaders, heroes of the Northern Military District and corresponding slogans. Unknown people began to paint over these frescoes at night. Local organizations of Serbian football fans, mainly the “Evil Eagles” (Zli Orlovi), and radical parties began to fight them, including using force. Following Irzhansky, one of the main activists of the RDO, Yevgeny Volokhonsky, left Serbia. This is a former deputy of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg, the son of Soviet dissident Lev Volokhonsky, who left for Serbia in the spring of 2022. Several criminal cases have been opened against him for slandering the armed forces of the Russian Federation - and he is wanted. His residence permit was revoked due to the fact that he poses a threat to the national security of Serbia. In July 2023, the head of the RDO, Petr Nikitin, was arrested at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport upon entering Serbia. He received a decree from the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs banning him from entering the country as part of a “protective measure in the form of expulsion of a foreigner” for threatening the national security of Serbia. After waiting for a day in the transit zone, he was finally allowed into the country, but his residence permit was revoked. According to some reports, Nikitin coordinates anti-Russian activities in the country. It has nothing to do with Russia; he left it as a child in 1993, grew up in the Netherlands, and in 2016 moved to Serbia. On August 11, 2023, the RDO organized a rally and press conference in front of the Assembly (Serbian Parliament). Nikitin, Irzhansky, Volokhonsky and other Russian emigrants handed over to the Serbian media a letter with an ultimatum addressed to Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, Minister of Internal Affairs Bratislav Gasic and the head of Serbian intelligence and counterintelligence Alexander Vulin. In the text of the letter, the movers “express indignation” at the ban on entry into Serbia for Nikitin and the cancellation of registration for Volkhonsky and Irzhansky. All this was written in sharp terms: “Gašić and Vulin must publicly state whether Russian anti-war activists are spies, whether they are doing something secret and illegal, and if so, then this should be dealt with by the police.” Another episode occurred on September 10, 2023. There was an attempt to hold a gay pride parade in Belgrade. However, immediately after the start of this event, Serbian journalists learned that they could not find any Serbian speakers among the participants, with the exception of the American Ambassador Hill and his Serbian-speaking guards. Almost the entire column consisted of Russian loaders, many of whom had nothing to do with the gay scene, but still came out to protest. This caused a wave of indignation and irony in Serbian society: “We were waiting for Russian defenders and liberators, and they came to organize a gay pride parade.” Relocators in Serbian politics At the beginning of December 2023, Nikitin was seen at a meeting with representatives of Western embassies in Belgrade, where they discussed holding a rally against the possible entry of Serbian troops into Kosovo and Metohija amid a new escalation of the situation. Taking into account the number of displaced persons arriving and their political tensions, the RDO held a significant rally. This turned out to be a “red line” for Belgrade. In addition, Russians were seen in the ranks of the opposition, which tried to block government buildings after the parliamentary elections in Serbia. By this point, it became clear that the actions of the RDO and politically active figures were destructive for Serbia. And the authorities began to perceive the “School of Activism” organized by the RDO as a platform for training personnel for street protests. Serbia's strict immigration laws make it difficult to quickly remove these people from the country. Nikitin, Volokhonsky, Irzhevsky and a number of other activists filed lawsuits in the appeal court. They remain in Serbia while these applications are being processed. Meanwhile, Nikitin noticed a skirmish in the voting queue at the Russian embassy, and rallies of RDO defectors “against the usurpation of power in Russia” are planned for March 23. There is reason to believe that Belgrade is capable of taking tougher measures against these structures and people in the near future. Because the political activity of some Russian immigrants turned out to be directed not only against Russia, but also against Serbia, and on its territory. Evgeniy Krutikovhttps://vz.ru Source link…
