Russia has added 17-year-old British citizen Alexander Browder to its sanctions list following his involvement in an investigation into money-laundering schemes conducted through the A7A5 cryptocurrency network.
The move followed the publication of a report in May examining the operations of the A7 network, which the author linked to the financing of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Four other British citizens were also placed under the restrictions alongside Browder.
Investigation Leads to Sanctions
Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Browder of “spreading false information about the policies of the Russian authorities” and banned him from entering the country. According to The Times, the schoolboy has become the youngest person ever placed under personal sanctions by Moscow.
Browder’s report was published by the Henry Jackson Society think tank. In it, he described alleged mechanisms used to launder funds through A7A5 and the broader A7 network, which, according to his findings, were used to support Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Connection to UK Restrictions
The publication also reports that Browder advised British authorities during the preparation of a new sanctions package announced last week. The UK measures targeted the Kremlin-linked A7 network.
Browder learned that he had been added to Russia’s sanctions list during an economics class after reading media reports about the decision.
“The decision of the Russian authorities will not affect my future work investigating financial flows connected to the war against Ukraine,” he emphasized.
Family Background
Alexander Browder is the son of Bill Browder, co-founder of Hermitage Capital Management and one of the Kremlin’s most prominent critics. Bill Browder has been banned from entering Russia since 2005 and has spent many years investigating corruption involving Russian officials. He also helped advance legislation known as the Magnitsky Act, which imposes sanctions on individuals involved in human rights violations.