Why Russia wants to file charges against former chess champion Garry Kasparov

Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, who fled Russia a decade ago for fear of persecution, could face criminal proceedings in Moscow for violating the Kremlin law on “foreign agents,” the TASS news agency reported on Sunday.

Russian law enforcement officials, the state news agency reported, said there were “every reason” to charge Kasparov, without providing further details. The fierce Kremlin critic faces up to two years in prison or a fine if proceedings are opened, anonymous officials said.

Russia added Kasparov to the list of individuals acting as foreign agents, which includes dozens of critics of Vladimir Putin, shortly after the Russian president launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Kasparov’s media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

According to the law, a foreign agent is a person who receives support from foreign states or is under foreign influence and carries out political activities in Russia.

The Foreign Agents Act, widely condemned by the European Union and Washington, requires anyone identified as benefiting from foreign support or influence to register with the Justice Department and declare themselves a foreign agent.

The law also subjects registrants to bureaucracy and onerous disclosures.