A former Russian lawmaker who was heard in a leaked video saying he was prepared to expose the Kremlin's secrets in exchange for an EU passport has been expelled from President Vladimir Putin's ruling United Russia party and labeled a "foreign agent."
Magomed Gadzhiev, a former United Russia State Duma deputy, who now says he's in the U.S., was included on a list of "foreign agents" by the Russian Ministry of Justice on May 26. A day later, the Dagestan branch of the United Russia party announced that he had been expelled "for actions that discredit the party."
Russia's Ministry of Justice said that Gadzhiev, 58, "expressed readiness to cooperate with foreign sources in order to obtain foreign citizenship" and "declared support for the Ukrainian authorities."
After Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Gadzhiev reportedly sent humanitarian aid convoys to the annexed Donbas territories and expressed support for the war.
"The Presidium of the Regional Political Council of the Dagestan regional branch of the United Russia party decided to expel ex-deputy of the State Duma Gadzhiev Magomed Tazhudinovich from the ranks of the party members for actions that discredit the party," the Dagestan branch of the party said on its website.
Russia's state-run news agency Tass cited the head of the republic of Dagestan, Sergey Melikov, as saying that the decision to expel Gadzhiev from United Russia was logical, calling the ex-deputy "a coward and a traitor."
"For a European passport, Gadzhiev was ready to throw mud at everything that is close and dear to us—his fellow countrymen, friends, republic, country and even religion," Melikov said. He said Dagestanis condemn Gadzhiev's actions and statements.
In March, Romanian media outlet RBN published a video featuring a conversation between Gadzhiev and a purported Western intelligence agent.
In it, Gadzhiev expresses his desire to obtain a passport from a European country, such as France or Italy, in exchange for information about the Kremlin. He promised to say "a lot of things" about the Russian government and oligarchs.
"I know a lot, but I don't want to talk. When I get the passport, we can discuss a lot of things. First tickets, then movies, you can't watch a movie until you have a ticket," he said.
On one occasion Gadzhiev said he was prepared renounce his Russian citizenship and on another said that he was "not Russian."
"We fought against Russia for 25 years, we are Dagestanis. During these 25 years, they captured us," he said, according to independent Russian news outlet Meduza.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian foreign ministry via email for comment.
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About the writer
Isabel van Brugen is a Newsweek Reporter based in Kuala Lumpur. Her focus is reporting on the Russia-Ukraine war. Isabel ... Read more
