Putin orders creation of commission to award ‘humanitarian benefits’ to relatives of government critics convicted in absentia

Vladimir Putin has established a commission to grant "humanitarian benefits" to the relatives of Russians convicted in absentia on "political" charges, according to a decree published on Russia's official legal portal. The commission, chaired by Justice Minister Konstantin Chuychenko, will include representatives from various government agencies such as the Interior Ministry, the Federal Tax Service, and the Federal Security Service.

Relatives of these convicted Russians will receive a monthly payment equivalent to Russia's minimum wage if they have no income of their own. The commission will verify their eligibility for these payments, which will be financed using the convicted person's frozen assets or other property. Critics have accused the law of being used to persecute dissenters for political reasons, stripping them of certain rights and adding them to a list of "enemies of the people."