Chelyabinsk, August 18 – In another move underscoring Moscow’s tightening grip on diaspora organizations, Russian authorities have stripped businessman Arshad Ady oglu Khankishiev of citizenship and barred him from entering the country.
Khankishiev, a wealthy entrepreneur in the fruit, vegetable, and restaurant trade, was also a leading representative of the Azerbaijani community in Chelyabinsk. He headed the regional public organization Azerbaijan and the Regional National-Cultural Autonomy of Azerbaijanis (AZERCHEL) before both were dissolved by court order.
According to the Telegram channel Mnogonatsional, the Federal Security Service (FSB) annulled Khankishiev’s passport, accusing him of “ethno-separatist propaganda” and alleged sympathies with jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
The move follows a wider campaign by Russian authorities to curb diaspora influence and dismantle community structures. Observers note that such actions fit into the Kremlin’s broader strategy of silencing voices deemed disloyal, while simultaneously sending a message to ethnic minorities about the consequences of political dissent.
