Serbian authorities ordered a Russian expat involved in anti-Kremlin activist work to leave the country by the end of this week over “risks” he allegedly poses to national security, local media reported Wednesday.
According to Serbian broadcaster N1, a CNN affiliate, Russian citizen Anton Bobryshev has lived in the Balkans country for eight years on a residency permit and owns an apartment in the city of Pancevo.
However, Serbia’s Interior Ministry refused to extend Bobryshev’s residence permit on Sep. 16 and ordered him to leave the country within 30 days. Authorities reportedly said his stay in Serbia could pose an “unacceptable risk” to national security.
Bobryshev slammed the decision as politically motivated, saying that it was “just like other cases with Russians who do not support Vladimir Putin and aggression against Ukraine.”
Petr Nikitin, a spokesman for the Russian Democratic Society, told N1 that Bobryshev participated in anti-war protests in Serbia and organized a rally in support of the late opposition activist Alexei Navalny last June in Pancevo. Nikitin said he believes the rally in Pancevo prompted Serbian authorities to refuse extending Bobryshev’s residency permit.
“I personally believe this is the implementation of a secret agreement between the [Serbian intelligence agency] BIA and Russia’s FSB, which [Deputy Prime Minister] Aleksandar Vulin signed a few years ago to counter color revolutions,” Nikitin was quoted as saying.
Bobryshev, who works remotely for a Russian IT company, told N1 that he considered Serbia his home, adding: “I love Serbia very much… in the future who knows, but now I want to stay here.”
The Russian said he filed an appeal against the decision to not extend his residency permit, and he cannot be deported from the country until the case is resolved.
In February, Serbian authorities denied permanent residence to anti-war Russian national Elena Koposova and her family, who had lived in Serbia for five years. They were also ordered to leave the country for security reasons.
After an appeal, the Serbian Interior Ministry’s decision regarding Koposova’s residency status was overturned.
