Russia is tightening restrictions on officials traveling abroad

Russian authorities are tightening rules for foreign travel for government employees over fears that foreign powers might try to gain access to state secrets. This was reported by Reuters on Thursday, April 18, citing nine sources familiar with the situation.

According to the agency’s interlocutors, the requirements vary in individual government agencies and are in many ways “somewhat chaotic,” but some officials are prohibited from visiting even “friendly” countries that have not joined the sanctions once morest Russia. “In general, you can’t go anywhere, even to Uzbekistan or Belarus for the May holidays. You can go only if you have permission,” said one of the sources.

Fears of disclosure of state secrets

The main reason for the tightening of restrictions was the Federal Security Service’s (FSB) fears that Russian officials, when traveling abroad, “might find themselves in a trap and be forced to reveal secrets affecting national security,” Reuters interlocutors noted. The FSB also believes that officials might be detained and then extradited to the West or offered a deal that would involve “disclosing secrets.” One of the sources said that they decided to tighten the rules following the detention in London of the former “governor” of annexed Sevastopol, Dmitry Ovsyannikov, in January.

At the request of the FSB, as the agency writes, the government prohibits employees of certain departments from leaving the country without special permission. One of the Reuters interlocutors clarified that the rules vary depending on the level of security clearance. A source in the Russian parliament said that employees of the lower house are prohibited from any trips abroad. “I can’t even go to Minsk,” he said, adding that “there is an unspoken rule according to which all requests are rejected.”