Kazakh Anti-Corruption Activist Smagulov Reportedly Banned from Entering Russia

The executive director of the public association “Adildik Joly,” Didar Smagulov, announced on Facebook that he has been banned for life from entering the Russian Federation by the Federal Security Service (FSB), Orda.kz reports.

According to Smagulov, he was traveling to Russia to assist a friend with a legal matter when he was informed of the entry ban at the border.

He noted that the Russian border guards expressed surprise, stating such bans from the FSB are rare.

Smagulov added that he gave them a free legal consultation during the encounter:

The Russian FSB has issued me a lifetime ban on visiting their country. I can't say that I was very upset, but it's a pity that I couldn't accompany my friend in resolving his legal issue. Well, that makes this international legal problem even more interesting: I will resolve the issue within the legal framework,
he wrote. 

In 2024, Smagulov was recognized by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs as a leader in the fight against corruption and received an award for his work.

Earlier, Russian historian Andrei Grozin was denied entry into Kazakhstan. 

Original Author: Artyom Volkov