INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Russian police are targeting migrants and draft-age men in a wave of raids on gyms and martial arts clubs across major cities, with
officers stormed a Spirit Fitness gym in southwest Moscow, forcing club-goers to lie face down on the floor while separating
have since been reported at other Spirit Fitness locations, as well as gyms in the cities of St
floor.Lawyers in multiple regions told Sever Realii that gym raids now happen at least twice a month in major cities
Russian citizens are typically sent to enlistment offices, while foreign nationals are taken to temporary detention centers
Many are ultimately deported.In one raid, a military officer reportedly accompanied police to hand out conscription notices directly
Activists say authorities are also targeting naturalized citizens who have obtained Russian passports but avoided military service,
pressuring them to sign military contracts under threat of deportation or loss of citizenship.Valentina Chupik, a human rights activist,
told Sever Realii that police often issue false disorderly conduct citations to justify deportations
Another activist, identified only as Alexander, said sports clubs popular with ethnic minorities have been routinely raided for the past two
at Crocus City Hall, allegedly carried out by Tajik nationals, triggered mass detentions of migrants across the country
Bailiff Service.The crackdown has been further enabled by new regulations that took effect in early February, which simplify deportation
blocking remittances.Between April 16 and 23, Sever Realii reported more than 200 cases of illegal detentions of migrants and draft-age men
Petersburg alone, suggesting the pace of detentions is accelerating as authorities try to fill military ranks.However, police appear to have
started casting a wider net recently
