A 26-year-old Russian who protested towards Putin’s regime has been discovered lifeless in London after his asylum bid was rejected.
Alexander Frolov was discovered lifeless in Acton, west London, on July 28, after ready for greater than a yr for an attraction listening to.
His mates stated they consider he took his personal life because of the psychological pressure and feeling hopeless on the considered being despatched again to Russia.
Alexander initially got here to the UK below a brief visa as an agricultural employee in 2021.
However when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he couldn’t return residence as a result of he ‘refused to participate in killing folks’, his good friend Galina Shakirova stated.
Alexander submitted his asylum utility in December 2022, but it surely was rejected in April 2024, in response to the I.
He lodged an attraction and was ready for his listening to to be rescheduled when he died.
The Russian Democratic Society described him as a ‘devoted opponent of Putin’s regime, a volunteer who gave his time to assist others, and a continuing presence at anti-war protests’.
They stated: ‘Alexander believed in the potential of a free and democratic Russia and hoped to sooner or later return to it.’
Galina stated she met Alexander after they labored as stewards at anti-war rally.
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She stated he was ‘sort, beneficiant, quietly reliable’, however proving oppression to the UK Residence Workplace was exhausting.
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‘Think about being an opposition activist who is aware of that returning residence virtually definitely means jail. You’ve spoken out publicly. You’ve labored with organisations labelled in Russia as “undesirable” or “extremist”,’ she stated.
‘You then ask for cover – hoping for security, for an opportunity to outlive. And as a substitute, you’re refused.’
The Residence Workplace stated: ‘It’s our long-standing coverage to not touch upon particular person instances.’
What number of Russians have been provided political asylum within the UK?
Since 2022, 759 Russians have been granted refugee standing within the UK.
One other 465 have been refused, and 154 are awaiting selections.
Of those, 98 have been ready longer than six months.
In the meantime there are considered 1,500 political prisoners in Russia.
Many have been prosecuted for anti-war actions, with the Kremlin solely just lately permitting Russians to explain the invasion of Ukraine as a battle – as a substitute forcing them to say a ‘tactical navy operation’.
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