Russian dissidents in Serbia are struggling

It must be strange to be Russian and living in Serbia these days. On the one hand, Serbs are very welcoming. The country’s historic ties with Russia and their shared Orthodox faith means that most Serbs have been happy to see tens of thousands of Russians settling in their country since the start of the Ukraine war. On the other hand, if you are Russian in Serbia, you might find you are only welcome for as long as you keep your mouth shut.

Once seen as a safe-haven for Russians, Serbia is cracking down on those who dare to speak out against Russia’s war in Ukraine. Most recently, Elena Koposova, who has lived in Serbia with her family since 2019, had her application for permanent residence denied by the interior ministry on the grounds that she poses an ‘unacceptable security risk’. She was given an expulsion order and told that she had 30 days to leave the country. She