Russian dissident Garry Kasparov says US warned him of danger to his life

What the report says

Former Russian chess champion and opposition figure Garry Kasparov says U.S. and Lithuanian security services warned him that his life could be at risk, according to a BBC World News report. Kasparov, who now lives in the United States, said he and another dissident had been advised to take precautions, though he was not told directly that he was a named target.

The comments come after the U.S. Justice Department unsealed an indictment this month accusing five people of working for the Kremlin in a wider campaign to plot attacks and murders against Russian dissidents and defectors abroad. The BBC reported that the case alleges a network linked to Russian intelligence has been active since at least 2024 and operated internationally, including efforts to recruit people in the United States. The five accused remain at large, according to the department.

Kasparov said he would not stop speaking out, and that he and his family would not feel truly safe while Vladimir Putin remains in power. The BBC noted that Kasparov left Russia in 2013 after years of opposition activity and has since been labelled a foreign agent by Russia. The report also said another exiled Russian politician, Ilya Ponomarev, was reportedly warned about the same plot, though he did not confirm the claim.