The Russian Justice Ministry on August 18 added seven more individuals to its foreign agents list, including prominent Kremlin critics Andrei Piontkovsky, Andrei Illarionov, and Linor Goralik.
Since 2012, Russia has used the so-called foreign agent law to label and punish critics of government policies. It also has been increasingly used to shut down civil society and media groups in Russia since the Kremlin launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February last year.
Political analyst Piontkovsky, 83, was one of the first signatories of the 2010 online anti-Putin manifesto titled Putin Must Go. He fled Russia in 2016, fearing persecution.
"Piontkovsky, who currently resides outside of Russia, has opposed the special military operation in Ukraine (the official term used by the Kremlin for the invasion of Ukraine) and spread false information about decisions made by the authorities of the Russian Federation and policies pursued by them," the ministry said.
SEE ALSO: Moscow Court Shuts Rights Center That Honors Nobel Peace Laureate Andrei SakharovU.S.-based economist Illarionov was a senior policy adviser to Putin between 2000-2005. He resigned after becoming increasingly critical of Putin's ruling style and the deterioration of Russia's democracy under him.
"Illarionov took part in the dissemination of reports and materials of foreign agents.... He participated as a respondent on platforms provided by foreign mass media," the ministry said.
Writer Goralik, who lives in Israel, has been a vocal critic of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine since its beginning.
The ministry said Goralik had been a vocal critic of Russia’s "special military operation" in Ukraine and had "created or disseminated materials for foreign agents.”
Author Tatyana Sotnikova, human rights activist Sergei Krivenko, political activist Vladimir Dovdanov, and Yakut anti-war activist Sargylana Kondakova were also added to the list for similar reasons, the ministry said.