Attack on FBK Activists Sparks Concern Across Europe
Leonid Volkov, one of the closest collaborators of the anti-corruption figure Alexei Navalny in exile, was assaulted Tuesday outside his home in Lithuania. An unknown assailant used tear gas and a hammer, according to posts from the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), the non-governmental organization founded by the popular blogger. One image showed the victim with a bloodied leg, his pants open, and his face inflamed and visibly shaken.
Not even a month has passed since Navalny’s death, yet a fresh shock reverberates through his circle and the blogger’s followers. Kira Yarmish, a spokesperson for the group, said a stranger shattered the windows of her vehicle, doused her face with irritant spray, and began striking her with a hammer she carried. The source also noted that the activist was at home waiting for an ambulance. Lithuanian police limited their statement to confirming a beating incident without providing further details.
The same FBK faces, including Leonid Volkov, Maria Pevchik, Ivan Zhdanov, and Georgiy Alburov, reside abroad in EU and NATO countries. Fully aware that they are potential targets for Russian security services, many choose to limit media contact and public appearances to avoid identification and ordered attacks from Moscow.
Designation as an Extremist Organization
Although outlawed inside Russia and listed as an extremist organization—the same category used for groups such as the Islamic State—FBK activists continue to condemn the corruption of the Russian elite and their methods for evading sanctions while maintaining overseas properties.
In the specific case of Spain, FBK members have urged the Spanish government to revoke the residence permits of certain individuals, including a track-and-field athlete living at a luxurious estate in southern Tenerife. They also revealed that Alekséi Shaposhnikov, president of Moscow’s Parliament, had bought a Barcelona apartment for his daughter Dara, just before the Ukraine conflict began, a property that would ensure residency in the country. FBK investigations also alleged that Tatiana Golikova, deputy prime minister for Social Policy, Labour, Health, and Pension Provision, and her husband Viktor Khristenko, who held senior roles in consecutive administrations before retiring from politics in 2016, own properties in southern Spain and even a golf course that benefits the couple financially.
The escalation of assaults and intimidation against opponents, both inside and outside Russia, is attributed by experts to a growing sense of impunity and confidence among Kremlin circles as the war in Ukraine unfolds. Analysts like Yaroslav Trofimov, chief foreign-policy correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, describe a trend of increased audacity among Kremlin loyalists amid hesitations observed among Western allies.