An activist from Russia's southwestern city of Krasnodar, Maria Zakharova, has fled the country along with her family after police threatened to jail her over her public protests against Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Zakharova told RFE/RL on December 14 that she and her family had applied for political asylum in the United States, where they entered from Mexico recently. Since Russia launched its war against Ukraine in late February, thousands of Russian journalists, activists, and right defenders have fled the country. To read the original story from RFE/RL's Caucasus.Realities, click here.
Editors' Picks
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.