Medvedev: Prevent Russian war critics, 'traitors' from returning to Russia

Russians who are against their country’s invasion of Ukraine shouldn’t be allowed to re-enter Russia and should be labeled ‘enemies of the state,’ Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said in a Telegram post on Wednesday. 

“Traitors who hate the country so much that they call for its defeat and happen, must be accepted as hostis publicus, public enemies,” said Medvedev, saying this label should be applied regardless of whether a legal violation has been committed. The title “enemy of the state” must be “firmly attached to them,” he said.

Medvedev said that such critics should not only not be allowed reentry into Russia “until the end of their days,” he said, “They must be completely cut off from income in our country.”

“The return of such persons home can take place only in the case of unequivocal public repentance, and in cases of visitation – only through amnesty or pardon,” said the former Russian president. “Although it would be better for them not to return.”

Not the first time Medvedev made statements supporting Russia against Ukraine

Medvedev, who is deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, and is a close ally of current Russian President Vladimir Putin, has made many hawkish and bombastic statements supporting Russia’s military campaign against Ukraine. 

In September the former president rattled a nuclear saber, saying that strategic nuclear weapons could be used to defend territory recently annexed from Ukraine. According to Reuters, in early November, he described Russia’s invasion as a holy war to "stop the supreme ruler of Hell, whatever name he uses - Satan, Lucifer or Iblis," and that Russia had the arsenal to "send all our enemies to fiery Gehenna." On Tuesday, just prior to his most recent statement, Medvedev claimed that a “Fourth Reich” would be established encompassing Germany, Poland, the Baltic states, Czechia and Slovakia.

The Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.