An anti-war activist and his family were stripped of their citizenship by Russia, leaving them stateless. This may signal a new method of repressing dissent.
Arshak Makichyan, 27, his father, two brothers, and their citizenship were all declared invalid on Monday by a judge at the Shatura municipal court in the Moscow area following five months of legal processes.
Makichyan, an environmentalist known for his solitary pickets, has presented Al Jazeera with a copy of the judge’s ruling
His family, who received Russian citizenship in 2004, is of Armenian origin.
“I was trying to unite people and bring real changes to Russia. That’s why they started this case against me and my family,” Makichyan told Al Jazeera from Germany.
“That is the price for activism in Russia. Because when you are protesting, you are putting at risk your family, your friends, and that’s difficult to understand for somebody in Europe or democratic countries.”
Inspired by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, Makichyan has been campaigning for drastic action against global warming since 2019, earning himself the title of Moscow’s “lone climate protester” for his demonstrations in Pushkin Square.
Unauthorised rallies are illegal in Russia, making Extinction Rebellion-type events a rarity.
This year, Makichyan turned his attention to the war in Ukraine, and called for an embargo on fossil fuels, which are helping fund Russia’s war effort.
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