Citizen? Yashin. Inside the courtroom where a Kremlin critic’s Russian citizenship was suddenly put on trial

In a turn of events that highlights the increasingly detached nature of the Russian justice system, a Moscow court is struggling to determine whether one of the country’s most prominent opposition figures, Ilya Yashin, is a citizen of Russia—or, as a police document absurdly claims, “stateless.”

Yashin is now being tried in absentia for refusing to label himself in each and every post online a “foreign agent” as required by the Kremlin’s repressive laws. Yashin was exiled from Russia in August 2024 as part of a prisoner exchange while serving an 8.5-year prison sentence for publicly condemning Russian army’s atrocities in Bucha, Ukraine.

During the current proceedings, it was revealed that a background check from the Main Information and Analytical Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs contained the annotation “LBG”, an acronym for “person without citizenship”.

Under the Russian Constitution, a citizen by birth cannot be deprived of their citizenship.

The investigator in the case, Daria Kurilova, was summoned to explain the supposed mistake but was unable to provide any clarification. “I cannot explain why,” Kurilova stated when questioned about the “stateless” designation. “I did not compile these requirements. It doesn’t say that his citizenship is annulled. It only says ‘LBG.’ Just two lines. I cannot refer to this [as an official document].”

Mikhail Biryukov, Yashin’s lawyer, argued that this presented an “irreparable contradiction” in the case files, one that could have severe real-world consequences for his client. “This document infringes on the rights of my client,” Biryukov told the court. “It would prevent him from returning to Russia, should he wish to do so.”

He pointed out that while the legal professionals in the courtroom might understand the absurdity of the situation, a border guard would likely see the official designation and deny Yashin entry into his home country.

“Do you think the people at customs are such idiots that they wouldn’t understand?” Judge Elena Golubeva countered.

“At customs, they know how to follow instructions!” Biryukov retorted.

Judge Golubeva then opted to send a formal inquiry and ask the police why a Russian citizen by birth has been designated as a stateless person in their records.

Writing about the hearing on his Twitter account, Yashin wrote about his disbelief at the proceedings. “The court is now trying to figure out whether I am a citizen or not,” he wrote. “Doesn’t it seem to you that this entire ‘legal system’ is showing clear signs of internal corrosion?”

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for October 6, when the court may have an answer from the Interior Ministry.