Politician Lobanov was dismissed from Moscow State University due to the status of “foreign agent”

Moscow politician, Moscow State University associate professor Mikhail Lobanov was dismissed from the university. He reported this himself, published a photo of the order in his Telegram channel.

According to the document, Lobanov was fired “due to circumstances beyond the control of the parties”, due to legislative restrictions on work. At the end of June, Lobanov was declared a “foreign agent”. According to the law, from the end of 2022, “foreign agents” are prohibited from teaching in state institutions.

Earlier, Lobanov wrote that he “was given the rector’s personal request to leave of his own accord.” It is as if the university was given an ultimatum: either urgently fire Lobanov, or Moscow State University will suffer. Then he refused to resign himself.

“I am confident that I will return to teach at my native University after the inevitable transformation of the regime and the repeal of all repressive laws,” Lobanov wrote.

• The Russian authorities can declare anyone who is under “foreign influence” a foreign agent, the definition of which is very vague in the law. There are now about 450 “foreign agents” in the register: individuals, mass media, NGOs and companies.
• In addition to the ban on teaching in state institutions, “foreign agents” cannot be organizers of public events, serve in the army under contract, and be members of election commissions.
• The status of foreign agent obliges, among other things, to report quarterly on the movement of funds on personal accounts and to mark all public messages. Errors in the report or lack of marking are punishable up to imprisonment.