Skip to content

All the news that matters, in plain English.

Latest
  1. Defending champion Luke Littler stunned by Luke Woodhouse in World Grand Prix opener
  2. Tata Trusts propose merging two firms into Tata Sons to shed NBFC tag and stay private
  3. Trump denies ever discussing US weapons sales to China, contradicting his own ambassador
  4. Hurricane Polo re-strengthens to Category 5, forecast to make landfall in Baja California Sur on Monday
  5. India delivers right of reply to Shehbaz Sharif's UNGA speech — warns "terrorism by Pakistan will have consequences"
  6. Liverpool reappoint Julian Ward as sporting director after Hughes exits for Al-Hilal
  7. Magnitude 6.6 earthquake strikes Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia; no tsunami threat
  8. NYPD arrests two men seen emerging from New York City manhole near Upper East Side hotel

World

Russia's FSB opens terrorism case against Lib Dem councillor in London

Russia's FSB announced on Monday it has opened a criminal case against Ksenia Maximova, a Liberal Democrat councillor in Ealing, accusing her of taking part in an organisation Russia designates as terrorist — as the agency warns other exiles in Britain they are being watched.

By Priya Raman · · 2 min read

Russia’s Federal Security Service has opened a criminal case against a Liberal Democrat councillor in London, accusing her of taking part in the activities of an organisation Russia has designated as terrorist, Sky News reports.

Ksenia Maximova, a councillor in the west London borough of Ealing, is accused of participating in the Russian Democratic Society UK, a group for Russian exiles that Moscow earlier declared “undesirable”, according to the FSB’s announcement on Monday.

The case was opened under Part 2 of Article 205.5 of the Russian Criminal Code, covering participation in the activities of an organisation recognised as terrorist under Russian law. Russia’s Izvestia reported that Maximova has been placed on the FSB’s international wanted list and added to the Rosfinmonitoring register of people linked to extremism or terrorism.

The FSB claims the society collects funds and assistance for Kyiv and that its founder plotted a violent seizure of power in Russia — allegations for which the FSB provided no concrete evidence, according to coverage of the announcement.

In a video released on Monday, an FSB officer said Russian counterintelligence knows the identities of exiles who have “chosen to cooperate with the UK” and are seeking Russia’s defeat, according to Al Mayadeen’s English service. The Sun reported the officer adding: “Every step they take is being watched. Their fate is sealed.”

Maximova was elected to Ealing council this year. The Russian Democratic Society UK describes itself as an “alternative Russia” and has organised pro-Ukraine protests outside the Russian embassy in London, according to press reports of the FSB’s announcement.

Sources

More on this topic: all World stories

Get Flip News by email

This opens your email app — we add you manually. No account, no spam, no third parties.