Russia’s ‘new shadow government’: Russia’s political polarization is at its peak – the Russian authorities are raiding the homes of Putin’s opponents

Russian police raided the homes of politicians in Moscow on Thursdayas part of a crackdown on people suspected of having links to Ilya Ponomarev – an exiled Russian politician.

In an interview with Newsweek, Ponomarev denied knowing someone who had been arrested –Politician and professor of Moscow State University (MSU) Mikhail LobanovHe accused the Kremlin of fabricating evidence to establish a link between the two.

carried out searches of people’s homes in at least five districts, The Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported, citing a source from local law enforcement agencies.

Targeted raids suspected of links to Ponomarev, Who was the only member of the Russian Parliament to vote against Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Lobanov was captured while he was a target Former Muscovite deputy Galina Filchenko, a member of the pro-democracy Yabloko party, another party member Nodari Kananashviliaccording to local media.

In an interview with Newsweek, Ponomarev denied knowing Lobanov. “They just pick on people they don’t like and create things to show they’re connected.”He said. “Lobanov is a rare creature in current Russian politics, as he is very left-wing and the leader of the Students’ Union in Moscow.”Ponomarev said. Obviously, this is a real potential threat. They are not afraid of liberals. They fear leftists and nationalists because they understand that they have popular support that liberals do not. This is why they specifically target the left.”

After being forced into exile, Ponomarev emigrated to Ukraine and now lives in Kiev. Since then, he has organized, along with other officials, a movement he describes as Russia’s new shadow governmentPeople’s Representatives Conference. The opposition movement aims to “The powers of the legislative branch are exercised after the final collapse of Vladimir Putin’s regime, which usurped power.”

Ponomarev is classified in Russia as a foreign agent and is included in the list of terrorists and extremists in the countryAccording to RIA Novosti.

A video released by Russian media appears While Russian security forces broke down the door of an apartment in Moscow where Lobanov and his wife Alexandra Zapolskaya live. Independent news channel SOTA also posted on Telegram a video showing Lobanov being transported in a minibus with tinted windows.

This is not the first time that Lobanov, who was a Communist Party candidate in the 2021 Russian parliamentary elections, has been targeted. In December 2022, He alleged that he was beaten during a raid and then detained for 15 days.

A statement was published on Lobanov’s VKontakte channel shortly after the raids, denying any connection to Ponomarev. It was not clear who wrote the statement. Lobanov’s colleague Alexander Zamyatin, The independent Russian news agency The Insider said no lawyer was allowed to visit the imprisoned professor.

“Some independent media have already written that investigations are underway in Mikhail’s district as a“ fighter ”of Ilya Ponomarev. This is incorrect information: Mikhail does not know Ponomarev and has no contact with him, whose criminal case is used by the security forces to legitimize investigations.”states the advertisement.

He claimed that the footage was meant to be shown Lobanov’s correspondence with Ponomarev circulated on pro-Kremlin social media channels on Wednesday. “This is such an absurd lie that any sane person could appreciate for himself.”The statement continued. “Michael is on trial because of his political activities and open attitude. He has nothing to do with Ponomarev and any of his businesses.” The first wave of investigations against persons suspected of having links with Ponomarev took place in September 2022.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said on May 17 that Russian authorities continue to suppress domestic anti-war dissent in an effort to foster domestic repression and prepare Russian society for a protracted war effort.