Immediately after clearing passport control in Germany, a Russian activist was approached by officers of the country’s Federal Intelligence Service, who asked her if she suspected any of her acquaintances of harboring ties to Moscow’s intelligence services. At the end of the conversation, she was offered a cooperation agreement, according to a post by Andrei Pivovarov, a Russian opposition politician and coordinator of the Consuls project for the Anti-War Committee.
The activist refused to sign the document German authorities had offered her. As a result, she was deemed a possible threat to Germany’s national security and was added to the list of persons barred from entering the Schengen Area.
Pivovarov reminded readers that in Russia, confidential cooperation with representatives of foreign states constitutes a serious crime, and may be classified as treason under certain circumstances. He added that an invitation to a conversation does not in itself mean that a person is in danger or that cooperation will necessarily be offered. However, it is important for anti-war Russians and those who have faced political persecution to be aware of such risks, advising:
“If you are invited to such a conversation, clarify who is conducting it and on what grounds, whether participation is voluntary, and, if possible, decline to take part in the conversation.”
Earlier, the independent outlet Holod reported on two Russian women who, after clearing passport control at Berlin airport, were taken for additional conversations. They were asked about the war in Ukraine, mobilization, and rising prices in Russia. One of the women answered questions for about an hour; the other declined to talk and was released.
