Moscow Court Issues In Absentia Arrest Warrant for Exiled Political Commentator Ekaterina Schulmann

On Friday, the Meshchansky District Court in Moscow ordered the absentia pre-trial detention of exiled political analyst Ekaterina Schulmann, citing violations of Russia’s “foreign agent” legislation.

Schulmann, a well-known commentator on parliamentary affairs, departed Russia for Germany in early 2022 to engage in academic activities, shortly after Russia initiated its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier this year, Russian authorities issued an arrest warrant for her, although the notice was subsequently removed from the Interior Ministry’s public records.

Currently, Schulmann holds a non-resident fellowship at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin, which is part of the U.S.-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. In July 2024, Russian prosecutors labeled Carnegie as “undesirable,” effectively prohibiting its activities in Russia and subjecting its affiliates to potential legal action.

Schulmann was marked as a “foreign agent” in 2022 and faced a fine of 50,000 rubles (approximately $600) last year for not including the required designation in her public remarks and social media content.

Despite these accusations, Schulmann maintains that she adheres to the law, asserting she includes the designation in all her posts to inform the public that “these laws can be applied even to individuals like myself.”