Putin Orders Commission to Grant Humanitarian Payments to Relatives of Absentia Convicts

Vladimir Putin has directed the creation of an interagency commission to decide whether relatives of Russians convicted in absentia on “political” charges should receive a monthly humanitarian benefit. The commission, chaired by Justice Minister Konstantin Chuychenko, will include officials from the Interior Ministry, Federal Tax Service, Federal Security Service, Rosfinmonitoring, and the Prosecutor General’s Office. If a relative has no other income, they will receive an amount equal to Russia’s monthly minimum wage. Funding will come from the convicted person’s frozen funds or other property. The commission operates under a law that also allows authorities to block bank accounts, restrict property sales, and add these individuals to a list of “enemies of the people.” The move expands state control over dissidents’ families and turns seized assets into welfare payments.