Russia Targets Exiled Analyst Yekaterina Schulmann with Arrest Warrant Amid Controversial Charges

Russian law enforcement has issued an arrest warrant for exiled political analyst Yekaterina Schulmann, as reported by the news outlet Mediazona on Tuesday.

Schulmann, recognized as one of the leading figures in legislative analysis in Russia, relocated to Germany in early 2022 to continue her academic pursuits shortly after Moscow initiated its comprehensive invasion of Ukraine.

The specific allegations against her remain ambiguous; however, a Moscow court recently initiated an administrative case against her, accusing her of having ties to an «undesirable» organization.

Schulmann serves as a non-resident scholar at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin, affiliated with the U.S.-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, which Russian authorities designated as «undesirable» in July.

This classification effectively criminalizes the operations of Carnegie in Russia and places its affiliates at risk of prosecution.

The Russian government first implemented its «undesirable» list in 2015 to restrict foreign non-governmental organizations, preventing Russian citizens from collaborating with or funding them. Since then, this law has been utilized to target independent media, human rights organizations, and environmental groups, among others.

In 2022, Schulmann was labeled a «foreign agent.» Last year, she was fined 50,000 rubles (approximately $600) for failing to include a designation label in her public appearances and statements, including those made on social media.