Leonid Volkov: Navalny-founded Anti-Corruption Foundation helped 1.5K supporters from Russia get humanitarian visas or asylum abroad
In an interview with the German news network Deutsche Welle, Leonid Volkov, the ex-chairman of Alexey Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, said that ACF has been able to help more than 1,500 of its supporters get humanitarian visas or asylum in different countries of the world.
“If memory serves,” Volkov said, “we’ve helped more than 1.5 thousand people apply for different kinds of humanitarian visas and asylum in different countries of the world, including Germany, the U.S., and some other places.”
Volkov has since clarified that “his figures might be slightly off,” but the rough scale of ACF’s legal assistance to Russians trying to leave the country is close to the number he’d mentioned in the interview.
In June 2021, ACF was declared an extremist organization in Russia, where its supporters are now facing political persecution. By confirming that a given person previously took part in ACF’s political activities, the foundation can help make a case for their humanitarian visa or asylum application.
Meduza survived 2024 thanks to its readers!
Let’s stick together for 2025.
The world is at a crossroads today, and quality journalism will help shape the decades to come. The real stories must be told at any cost. Please support Meduza by signing up for a recurring donation.