Russian President Vladimir Putin Signs New ‘Countering Extremism’ Strategy
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree outlining a new strategy to counter extremism in the country. The document, published on the official portal of legal information, updates the previous strategy that had been in effect since 2020.
In a significant development, the new strategy introduces the term "Russophobia" to describe "negative, biased, hostile attitudes towards Russian citizens, the Russian language, and culture." It also includes discriminatory actions by authorities of "unfriendly states" towards Russia.
The new strategy highlights serious threats from the spread of neofascist ideas, the growth of radical nationalist armed groups, and foreign interference. It identifies Ukraine as a key source of these threats, arguing that the "Ukrainian crisis" is being exploited by unfriendly states to wage hybrid wars against Russia and stir up anti-Russian sentiment.
Uncoordinated protest actions, often intentionally fomented into mass disturbances, and migrations contributing to criminal activities are also flagged as factors contributing to instability.
To tackle these issues, the strategy proposes tracking individuals traveling abroad for extremism training or to attend centers in "unfriendly states," though details of which centers and what data will be collected are not specified. The document also outlines measures to combat online extremism, including data analysis and de-anonymization techniques.
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