Update to ‘foreign agents’ list: Pavel Chikov, Ilya Varlamov and others

Russia’s Ministry of Justice has added Pavel Chikov, lawyer, and Ilya Varlamov, journalist, to its list of “foreign agents”, as per the agency’s website.

Other entrants to the list include Bogdan Bakaleyko of TV Rain, Svetlana Lada-Rus (Peunova) of the Volya political party (liquidated for “extremism”), and Ruslan Aysin, a political analyst. Parni+, an LGBTQ+ website, has also been added to the list.

Aysin was added to the list for “spreading false information about decisions made by Russia’s government bodies” and speaking up about the Ukraine War, the Ministry of Justice says.

Peunova, the agency says, “called for struggle against the current state authorities of the Russian Federation, opposed the special military operation in Ukraine, and formed a negative attitude towards military service and public service in general.” She is also wanted internationally and nationwide, the agency says.