They fled Russia, but the West sent them back
Russian activists who fled to the US are increasingly being deported back to Russia, where they face interrogation and potential conscription. The case of a deportee named Katya illustrates the growing risks for anti-war Russians as Western asylum policies harden.
Why it matters
This highlights the human rights implications of shifting immigration policies and the dangers faced by political dissidents returned to authoritarian regimes.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Criticising the government, whether on the street or on social media, can result in a prison sentence in Russia (file pic)
Russian security services were waiting when the flight landed in Moscow in December. On board were Russians the US had deported, including activists denied political asylum.
"It was unbelievably frightening. My knees were shaking with fear," says Katya, one of the deportees. We have changed her name to protect her identity, as she remains in Russia.
Katya had left Russia and claimed asylum in the US two years earlier.
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many countries publicly welcomed fleeing Russians. But more than four years later, attitudes have hardened. The numbers of anti-war Russians forcibly returned from Western countries is rising, and Katya's experience highlights the potential risks they face.
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