Garry Kasparov Reports US and Lithuania Warned Him of Assassination Threat

Russian opposition figure and former world chess champion Garry Kasparov stated on Wednesday that security services in the US and Lithuania had informed him that his life was in danger due to a suspected plot against Kremlin opponents living outside Russia. US authorities announced last month that they had charged five individuals over alleged plots involving Russian intelligence to assassinate two opposition figures, one in the US and the other in Lithuania, after paying recruits to conduct surveillance on both targets. Unconfirmed media reports have identified the potential targets as Kasparov, who resides in New York; Ilya Ponomaryov, a dissident based in Ukraine who frequently travels to the US; and Ivan Tyutrin, an opposition activist located in Lithuania. Kasparov, 63, mentioned in a Substack post that he and Tyutrin were not explicitly identified as targets. "We were, however, warned by security services in Lithuania and the US that our lives were in danger and that we should take precautions," he wrote. He added, "But I will not stop and I will not hide … I will continue to do everything I can to rally the free world against Putin’s murderous dictatorship." Kasparov has been designated by Russia as a “foreign agent” and listed among “terrorists and extremists.” The Kremlin stated last month that it found no reason to comment on the US allegations due to the lack of what it termed credible evidence and facts. Russia has previously denied involvement in such plots on foreign soil, including within the US.