“I demand to recognize me as a foreign agent!” Bashkir opposition leader is suing the Ministry of Justice

Ivan Zubov

An unusual conflict is unfolding around the former chairman of the Public Chamber of Bashkiria, Rostislav Murzagulov: he is suing the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, demanding to be included in the register of foreign agents!

This application was accepted and registered by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. Murzagulov does not hide the fact that since August 2022 he has been working in a media holding sponsored by opposition leader Mikhail Khodorkovsky ( recognized as an extremist and a foreign agent in the Russian Federation).

In the statement of claim, Murzagulov claims that he is engaged in political activities hostile to the authorities and receives foreign funding, which was repeatedly reported by the Russian media, showing supporting documents. State Duma deputies and officials have repeatedly informed the Ministry of Justice about this, which is obliged to include the identified violator in the register of foreign agents within ten days.

"I insist on my right to be included in the official list of foreign agents-enemies of the state", - says Rostislav Murzagulov.

The troublemaker's biography is more remarkable: Murzagulov was born in 1978 in Kumertau. After graduating from Moscow State University. Lomonosov, worked in the newspaper "Soviet Bashkiria", as well as an editor and news anchor on Channel One. In 2003-2008, he served as press secretary of the President of Bashkortostan Murtaza Rakhimov, and in 2016 he published a book about Rakhimov, "Babai of All Rus'".

His track record includes such considerable public positions as director of mass and educational programs of the Russian Olympic Committee, deputy head of the presidential administration of Bashkortostan for domestic policy, executive director of the Institute for the Development of the Electoral System of the Russian Federation, head of the board of directors of Bashinform JSC and, finally, head of the Public Chamber of Bashkiria .

However, in 2021, Murzagulov announced the end of his political career and the refusal of all posts and went into opposition. Even before this step, a video for his song titled appeared on the Web, in which Murzagulov played the role of an official with a suitcase "for kickbacks and bribes". This was a kind of response to the popular rapper's accusations of having links with the Bashkir authorities, including Murzagulov.

We add that the status of a foreign agent in the West allows its holders to count on receiving grants and various benefits in different countries.