Russian police raid gym for draft dodgers and illegal immigrants
The police in Petersburg conducted a raid on the gym of one of the MMA clubs. They were searching for illegal immigrants and individuals evading military conscription among the athletes.
According to the Petersburg portal Fontanka, police officers and the Federal National Guard Service of Russia carried out a raid at a gym in the Frunzensky district, where—according to Russian authorities—foreigners predominantly exercise.
Among about 50 men present in the club during the police raid, approximately half were foreigners. Six illegal immigrants from Central Asia were identified, reports were filed against them, and 12 foreigners who had obtained Russian citizenship but ignored their military summons were noted.
This is not the first time Russian authorities have searched for draft dodgers in a gym. Foreign media have repeatedly reported on round-ups of foreigners in Russia, often transporting them to military recruitment offices, from where it is a direct path to the front.
Last year, the police in Petersburg revoked the Russian citizenship of 100 migrants, and in over 50 percent of cases, evasion of military summons was cited as the reason, reports Fontanka.
In Russia, there is widespread coercion against migrants—they must accept citizenship and a conscription card or face deportation. This mainly affects ordinary workers as well as students of technical and medical fields.
"Russian media on the internet have long labeled MMA clubs as breeding grounds for regional nationalism and crime," indicates Nexta.
