Serbia: Anti-war Russian translator, Elena Koposova, at risk of expulsion
Elena Koposova. Photo courtesy of Elena Koposova.
Update 8 March 2024: The Police Department of the city of Belgrade lifted the expulsion order against Elena Koposova. PEN International wishes to thank everyone who mobilized on behalf of Koposova and sent appeals. No further action is required at this stage.
RAN 01/2024
1 March 2024: Literary translator Elena Koposova is at risk of expulsion from Serbia after she was declared a threat to the national security of Serbia and her residency permit was revoked. A Russian national who has been living in Serbia with her family since 2019, she had signed an open letter almost two years ago condemning the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. According to media reports, several Russian anti-war activists were denied entry to Serbia or had their residency permits revoked on national security grounds in recent months.
Koposova is appealing a 2 February 2024 expulsion order giving her 30 days to leave Serbia. A decision is expected shortly. She is at risk of arbitrary detention and other human rights violations if she is forced to return to the Russian Federation.
TAKE ACTION
Advocacy
Please send appeals to the authorities of Serbia, urging them to:
· Immediately halt the expulsion order against Elena Koposova;
· Ensure that any legal provisions aimed at protecting national security are clearly and narrowly defined and conform to international human rights law and standards.
Send appeals to:
Bratislav Gašić
Role: Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia
Email: [email protected]
Send copies to the Embassy of Serbia in your own country. Embassy addresses may be found here: https://www.mfa.gov.rs/en/diplomatic-missions/serbian-diplomatic-missions/embassies
Please reach out to your Ministry of Foreign Affairs and diplomatic representatives in Serbia, calling on them to raise the case of Elena Koposova in bilateral fora.
***Please send appeals immediately. Check with PEN International if sending appeals after 1 June 2024. ***
Outreach
PEN members are encouraged to:
· Publish articles and opinion pieces in your national or local press highlighting the case of Elena Koposova;
· Share information about Elena Koposova and your campaigning activities via social media.
Please keep us informed of your activities. Messages can be sent to Aurélia Dondo, Head of Europe and Central Asia Region at PEN International: [email protected]
Background
Born in 1969, Elena Koposova has been a published English-Russian literary translator since 2005 and has translated over 50 fiction and non-fiction titles, including works by Rex Stout, Ed McBain, Doris Lessing, Annie Proulx, Elizabeth George, Elizabeth Chadwick, Joe Hill and Dougie Brimson. She currently works as a Foreign Rights manager with a publishing company.
Koposova moved to Serbia with her husband and two sons in 2019, and applied for permanent residency in September 2023. On 2 February 2024, she received a decision from the police rejecting her application on national security grounds and ordering her to leave Serbia within 30 days. No details were provided as to why she was deemed an ‘unacceptable security risk’. The only explanation, according to Koposova and local human rights groups, is that she, together with 25 Russian nationals living in Serbia, had signed an open letter in March 2022 condemning the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Koposova’s appeal to the Police Department of the city of Belgrade is ongoing. According to her lawyer, a decision is expected in the coming days. If her appeal is rejected, she has the right to appeal before a judge. Koposova is amongst several Russian anti-war activists who were reportedly refused entry to Serbia or had their residency permits revoked on national security grounds in recent months. Should her appeal be rejected, she would face a lengthy prison term and other human rights violations in the Russian Federation, where the authorities have intensified efforts to eradicate all dissent about the war they waged against Ukraine. Koposova is being supported by several local organisations, including Serbian PEN.
For more information about PEN International’s work on Serbia, please click here.
For further details contact Aurélia Dondo, Head of Europe and Central Asia Region at PEN International: [email protected]