Chronicles of a Prison State: The Duma Demands to Restrict Access of “Foreign Agents” to Their Pensions

The Duma is demanding that “foreign agents” be restricted from accessing their pensions. According to State Duma Speaker Volodin, pension payments to people declared “foreign agents” should be credited to special accounts, similar to what already happens with the income of “foreign agents” in Russia.

“What we have is a situation where a person who has betrayed the country and is destroying it is walking around Paris and other European cities, while receiving a pension from Russia”, Volodin said. At the same time, Russians abroad already do not have full access to their pension savings due to the inability to withdraw money from Russian bank cards in the EU and restrictions on cross-border transfers from accounts in Russia.

According to Volodin, pensioners will only have access to their special accounts after they return to Russia. However, the State Duma speaker immediately warned that those who return may not need the money, as they will find themselves “in places where they will have to work”.