Serbia reverses expulsion order of anti-war Russia activist News
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Serbia reverses expulsion order of anti-war Russia activist

The government of Serbia reversed an expulsion order Friday that would have forced a Russian woman who fled to Serbia after expressing opposition to the war in Ukraine to leave the country.

Elena Koposova is a literature translator from Russia. She is one of many Russians living in Serbia after fleeing Vladimir Putin’s regime. Koposova signed an open letter expressing condemnation of the war in Ukraine. Then, on February 2, she was suddenly notified that her Serbian temporary residence permit had been revoked. In an interview with the Associated Press (AP), Koposova said it was the first she’d heard of any issues with her residency paperwork. She alleged authorities told her the permit was revoked for “national security reasons,” but she received no other explanation.

Russian Democratic Society in Serbia, a nonprofit that represents anti-war Russian expats, helped Koposova appeal the expulsion. While her expulsion was reversed, Russian Democratic Society in Serbia said that Koposova’s ongoing issues with permanent residency have not yet been resolved.

Since the war in Ukraine began, Serbia has been one of only a few European countries that have remained close to Russia. In late February, several Serbian firms were blacklisted by the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control for supporting sectors of Russia’s military-industrial complex.

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