Navalny Associate and Human Rights Activist Faces Imminent Deportation

Los Angeles, CA – Attorneys for Vladislav Krasnov, 27, a known critic of the Putin regime and former volunteer for Alexei Navalny’s anti-corruption league, are issuing an urgent plea to Members of Congress today. Krasnov is currently being transferred by ICE from Arizona to the East Coast—likely Virginia—where he faces imminent deportation to Russia.

Despite a pending request for a Stay of Removal with the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), ICE is proceeding with his transfer. Mason Immigration Law Office warns that deportation to Russia is effectively a death sentence.

Vladislav Krasnov, arrested at a protest in Moscow, Sept. 10, 2018. The European Court on Human Rights has held that this arrest was illegal and that Russia violated Vladislav's civil and human rights that day.

A History of Persecution

Krasnov is not a generic case; he is a documented political dissident. He was previously arrested in Moscow for protesting government corruption. In a landmark decision, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) recently issued a judgment finding the Russian government guilty of violating Krasnov’s human and civil rights regarding his illegal detention.

"Sending Vladislav back to Russia now is not just a deportation; it is handing a political target directly to the regime he fled," said Wallie Mason, lead attorney for Krasnov. "He faces immediate arrest, torture, and forced conscription into the military to fight in the illegal war against Ukraine."

Procedural Failures and Psychological Distress

Krasnov has been held incommunicado or in sub-standard conditions for weeks. Most recently, he was detained in an Arizona airport holding room with 29 other men and no beds throughout the weekend. He has been subjected to conflicting information regarding his fate—told he would be returned to California, then abruptly informed he was being flown east for deportation.

Urgent Call to Action

We are calling on Senators and Representatives in Virginia and Washington, D.C., to intervene immediately.