Khodorkovsky and Gudkov Join Growing List of Targeted ‘Terrorists and Extremists’ in Russia

Russia’s financial regulatory body, Rosfinmonitoring, has added former oil magnate Mikhail Khodorkovsky and exiled opposition leader Dmitry Gudkov to its roster of “terrorists and extremists” as of Wednesday.

This development follows the announcement from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) last month regarding criminal charges against 23 members of the Russian Anti-War Committee, an organization established abroad in response to the extensive invasion of Ukraine.

Khodorkovsky, who currently resides in the UK, and Gudkov, a former member of Russia’s State Duma from 2011 to 2016, are among the nearly two dozen individuals implicated in this case.

In the past week, Rosfinmonitoring has designated several other anti-war activists, including political analyst Ekaterina Schulmann, philanthropist Boris Zimin, and former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, as “terrorists and extremists.”

The individuals in question are accused of attempting to violently overthrow the Russian government and of “organizing a terrorist community.” They have also been classified as “foreign agents” by the Russian Ministry of Justice.

If convicted and extradited under Russia’s terrorism legislation, the 23 charged members of the Anti-War Committee could face life imprisonment.

Khodorkovsky has refuted allegations that the Anti-War Committee finances Ukraine’s military or endeavors to take control of the Russian government.

Russian banks are mandated by law to freeze the assets of those listed by Rosfinmonitoring and to discontinue all financial services to them.

The Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists” currently contains more than 17,800 names and over 800 organizations.

Additionally, the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office classified the Anti-War Committee as an “undesirable organization” in January 2024.