The Police and Border Guard Board has, acting on a proposal from the Internal Security Service (ISS), has revoked the residence permit of Sergei Tšaulin, a long-term resident in Estonia, because he has been engaged in pro-Kremlin agitation for a long time. The ISS, known by the acronym Kapo in Estonian, says Tšaulin has already left the country.
Details
This is what the Internal Security Service announced on Wednesday: “The Police and Border Guard Service has declared the residence permit of long-term resident Sergei Tšaulin null and void,” adding that Tšaulin had an unspecified nationality.
“On the basis of the Aliens Act (Section 241 (1), (2)), a foreigner’s residence permit may be revoked if he poses a threat to public order and national security. Tšaulin, whose nationality is unknown, left Estonia on the evening of 14 February,” the statement from the Internal Security Service continues.
The ISS report does not specify Tšaulin’s destination country, although Tšaulin himself told the Russian-language news portal ERR that he was now in Russia, adding that the Internal Security Service had deported him.
The Internal Security Service says that Tšaulin actively spread propaganda against Estonia and in favour of the Russian Federation over a long period of time.
“As a tool of the Kremlin, Tšaulin has been stirring up national and political hatred for years under the banner of the anti-fascist movement.
This person has also directed actions of the ‘Immortal Regiment’ and led the non-profit organization’ Russian Compatriots in Europe’ to implement the Kremlin’s divisive policies,” the ISS continued.
This is far from the first case
This is not the first case of the termination of the activities of pro-Kremlin activists in Estonia. In May 2022, Russian citizen Alexey Yesakov, who collaborated with Chaulin on his projects, had his residence permit revoked and was expelled from the country.
Yesakov accused the Estonian authorities of “genocide against Russians”. According to the police, he stirred up international hostility, spread Kremlin propaganda and cooperated with Russian propaganda channels.
Another of Chaulin’s allies, Sergei Seredenko, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison for anti-state activities in September 2022. Chaulin accused the Estonian state of oppression when he spoke out about Seredenko’s conviction.
The Russian “Bessmertniy Polk” is a threat to Europe’s national security
These activities date back to 2006, it is said.
The Immortal Regiment (Russian: Bessmertniy Polk) is an organization best known in Estonia for organizing annual “Victory Day” parades on 9 May, which in Russia is considered the day on which the Second World War ended.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to even more scrutiny of this already controversial area of society.
Persons with undetermined citizenship in Estonia refer largely to persons whose mother tongue is Russian and who moved to Estonia during the occupation or whose ancestors did so but never obtained Estonian citizenship or that of another country.
They are usually issued grey travel documents to enable international travel, so they are often referred to as “grey passport holders”.
As we used to say on “RussiaVsWorld”: Sooner or later, all those who support Russia’s terrorist actions and spread its narratives will be brought to justice.
