Garry Kasparov Warned of Danger to His Life, Citing US Security Services
Exiled Russian opposition figure Garry Kasparov states he and another dissident were alerted to potential threats by American and Lithuanian security services.
Exiled Russian opposition figure Garry Kasparov has stated that he was warned by American and Lithuanian security services about a danger to his life. Kasparov, a former chess world champion, said he and another dissident were advised to take precautions.
These warnings follow a U.S. Justice Department indictment unsealed earlier this month. The indictment charges five individuals, alleged to be working for the Kremlin, with plotting attacks and murders in various countries, including the United States, with a specific focus on Russian dissidents and defectors. Kasparov wrote on his Substack that while he was not explicitly told he and Ivan Tyutrin, co-founder of the Free Russia Forum, were targets, both had received safety advisories.
Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported that U.S. authorities had informed Kasparov and Ilya Ponomarev, another prominent Russian opposition figure, about the alleged plot over the summer. Sources close to Kasparov indicated he was placed under enhanced protection for the first time since relocating to the U.S.
Kasparov stated, "My family and I will not stop and I will not hide, even if I thought it was possible to do so. My family and I will not truly be safe as long as [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is in power in Russia - a circumstance shared by millions."
Kasparov retired from professional chess in 2005 to engage in politics, forming movements critical of Putin before leaving Russia in 2013. He has not returned since. Russia has designated him a foreign agent following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and added him to lists of terrorists and extremists in 2024, classifications he rejects.
Ilya Ponomarev, the other opposition figure reportedly warned, was the sole Russian Member of Parliament to vote against the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and subsequently went into exile in Ukraine. He declined to confirm or deny receiving a tip-off about the alleged plot but described the allegations as a "new level of escalation" by Russia.
According to the U.S. Justice Department, a network of individuals working for Russian intelligence services has been active since at least 2024. This network, referred to as the RIS Network, has allegedly been involved in conspiring to carry out attacks and murders against Russian dissidents and defectors globally. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg stated that the five accused members of the network are alleged to have operated as part of a global assassination network that extended into the United States, attempting to recruit individuals to carry out killings on behalf of the Kremlin. The individuals named in the indictment are Yuri Khrameev, Kirill Khrameev, Oemis Romagoza Durruthy, Yaidel Delgado Suarez, and Angel Eduardo Castro. All five remain at large, the Justice Department confirmed.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated at the time the indictment was unsealed that he would not comment on the charges until credible evidence or tangible facts were presented.