Russia has changed the definition of the concepts “Russophobia” and “extremism”: ISW has indicated the goal

In Russia, they changed the definition of the concepts of “Russophobia” and “extremism”: the ISW indicated the goal Anastasia Lukashevskaya

The Kremlin legalizes persecution for Russophobia/Collage 24 ChannelMore interesting audio news Listen00:0001:071x1xAudio synthesized using AI.More Audio news< p _ngcontent-sc107 class="news-annotation">Russia continues efforts to legitimize the persecution of those who do not agree with the Kremlin’s policies and its war against Ukraine: they have expanded the official definition of extremism.

Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) note that the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs published on July 22 a draft of a new Russian so-called counter-terrorism strategy, which establishes legal definitions of “Russophobia” and “xenophobia”, and also changes the definition of “radicalism”, “countering extremism” and “subjects of countering extremism.” p>

Opposition to the current actions and structure of the Russian government will be defined as ethnic intolerance towards Russians who support the Kremlin's policies and war against Ukraine, the report says.

The Kremlin also seeks to use these definitions and further persecution in order to curry favor with Russian so-called ultranationalists, because in Russia they have intensified the fight against illegal migration, while presenting it under the guise of fighting extremism.

All for the sake of propaganda

ISW believes that The Kremlin's recent efforts to expand the definition of criminal extremism and repression in the information space are likely “aimed at encouraging self-censorship among dissident Russians,” and a new draft counterterrorism strategy aims to convince Russians that opposition to politics and the Kremlin's war is opposition to broader Russian society, culture and ideals.

The explanatory note to the project speaks of “strengthening traditional Russian legal and moral values”, while countering the spread of “radical nationalism and neo-Nazism in the context of a special military operation (war in Ukraine) and the inclusion of new territories (illegally occupied Ukrainian lands)”.