In first, Russia revokes citizenship of two men for drug-related charges

For the first time, Russian courts have applied a new legal provision from the amended citizenship law, allowing for the revocation of acquired citizenship in cases of certain criminal activities, for drug-related charges. According to Russia’s Internal Affairs Ministry, citizenship was revoked from “two foreign men” who were prosecuted for illegal drug trafficking. The ministry did not specify what verdict the court had reached in the case.

The amendments to the law “On citizenship of the Russian Federation,” effective from October, enable authorities to strip citizenship for crimes outlined in approximately 60 articles of Russia’s Criminal Code. These primarily include serious offenses, but also extend to convictions under political articles, such as for “spreading fakes” and “discrediting the army.”