By Alexander Pracht
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an international agreement Monday with several former Soviet countries, including Armenia, allowing them to exchange banking information to enforce court decisions. The agreement could enable authorities in signatory countries to seek the cross-border seizure of assets based on court rulings.
In addition to Armenia and Russia, the signatories include Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The agreement, originally signed last year, has faced criticism from civil society groups across the region, who warned that Moscow could use it to obtain information about the financial activities of Russian citizens living abroad.
The agreement will allow Russian authorities to locate debtors’ assets in other countries and subsequently seek their confiscation, lawyer Yevgeny Smirnov told the exiled Russian publication IStories. He also warned that Russian authorities could obtain information about the sources of income of Russians who have left the country for political reasons, potentially exposing them to danger if they are found to have ties to organizations outlawed by Moscow, including media outlets and think tanks critical of the Russian government.
In September, Russia adopted a law allowing authorities to confiscate the assets of people convicted in absentia of activities deemed “extremist” by the Russian state, including, but not limited to, criticism of its invasion of Ukraine.
Stories
