Found an error?
Report now
Sergey Markov has maneuvered himself offside.
IMAGO/Russian Look
Sergey Markov was one of the loudest supporters of Vladimir Putin and the war against Ukraine. Now the political scientist himself has landed on the dreaded list of "foreign agents" - apparently because of an ill-considered appearance abroad.
In Russia, being classified as a "foreign agent" is considered a stigma - and has so far mostly affected opposition figures or Kremlin critics. Now it has hit Sergey Markov of all people, a 67-year-old political scientist who has been one of President Vladimir Putin's closest journalistic supporters for decades. As reported by the "Süddeutsche Zeitung", Markov was placed on the list by the Russian Ministry of Justice last Friday.
Particularly explosive: just a year ago, Markov himself called for "foreign agents" to be prosecuted more severely and their access to the Russian public to be withdrawn. Now he has to label each of his own posts on Telegram - where he has more than 78,000 subscribers - with the information that they originate from a "foreign agent". Failure to do so could result in fines or imprisonment.
Markov reaffirms his loyalty: "I have supported Vladimir Putin's policies for the entire 25 years and continue to support him," he wrote on Telegram on Friday. He emphasized that he did not understand the decision.
The Ministry of Justice did not provide an official explanation. The message merely stated that Markov had disseminated content from "undesirable organizations" and published "false information" about authorities. However, Russian media suspect that his appearance at a forum in Azerbaijan at the end of July was the decisive factor. There, he called President Ilham Aliyev a "brilliant intellectual" and praised his success in recapturing Nagorno-Karabakh.
As Moscow has been at loggerheads with Baku for some time, the Kremlin apparently took a dim view of the statement. A pro-government Telegram channel sharply attacked Markov and accused him of "kissing Aliyev's feet for no reason".
Putin's opponents also reacted with ridicule. Exiled author Viktor Shenderovich, himself classified as a "foreign agent", wrote ironically: "Does anyone know how to get down from there?"
