Libertarian Party of Russia suspends activities after being labeled 'foreign agent'

The Libertarian Party of Russia (LPR) announced the suspension of its activities in a message on its Telegram channel. The party stated it will no longer engage in political work or accept new supporters.

The move comes after Russia's Justice Ministry added the party to its 'foreign agents' registry on July 17. In its statement, the party said: 'Unfortunately, given the current situation, we have exhausted our capacity to resist the pressure and can no longer guarantee the safety of our supporters in Russia.'

The organization's message does not indicate whether it plans to resume operations. 'See you in the Russia of the future — whatever it may be,' the message to supporters concluded.

The LPR was officially founded in 2008. In 2020, it split into two organizations sharing the same name and symbols: one led by party chairman Sergei Boyko, the other by Mikhail Svetov, one of the LPR's most prominent figures. Neither group is officially registered.

The Justice Ministry's listing cites the website and social media accounts associated with Svetov's wing. Representatives of the other faction published a message on July 17 expressing support for the organization added to the 'foreign agents' registry.