Rosfinmonitoring (Росфинмониторинг) list of terrorists and extremists: what being listed means
The list of terrorists and extremists is maintained by Rosfinmonitoring (Росфинмониторинг) under Federal Law No. 115-FZ. Being added to it means an out-of-court freeze of bank accounts: the operator must suspend transactions within one business day. Access to money remains, but in a strictly limited amount — the monthly spending limit for the listed person and their dependents is 10,000 ₽ for each family member, plus separate mandatory payments.
This is not a sentence and not a criminal record. It is an administrative and financial measure applied when a criminal case is opened under “terrorist” or “extremist” articles, by court decision, or at the request of an authorized body. Removal from the list is possible, but it requires a separate procedure and does not happen automatically even after the case is closed.
The list is published on the Rosfinmonitoring website and updated regularly. You can check yourself or a relative against the official list by surname and date of birth; at the same time, it is useful to check the Ministry of Internal Affairs wanted database through Wanted Radar — the statuses overlap, but these are different databases.
In short
- The list is maintained by Rosfinmonitoring under Federal Law No. 115-FZ; inclusion happens without a court.
- Banks must freeze the listed person’s accounts within one business day.
- Spending limit: 10,000 ₽ per month for the listed person and for each dependent, plus mandatory payments.
- Refusal to open a new account is a bank’s standard response and can be challenged through a Bank of Russia commission.
- Removal requires an application to Rosfinmonitoring with confirmation of the grounds; the review period is 10 business days.
What it is: how the list works
The list is a consolidated register of individuals and legal entities for which there is information about involvement in extremist or terrorist activity. The legal basis is Federal Law No. 115-FZ “On Countering the Legalization (Laundering) of Criminally Obtained Income and the Financing of Terrorism.”
Who maintains and publishes it
The operator of the list is the Federal Financial Monitoring Service, Rosfinmonitoring. The list is maintained in two sections: national (based on decisions by Russian authorities) and international (based on decisions by the UN Security Council). The public version is available on the agency’s website.
On what grounds people are added
Inclusion happens, among other cases, when a criminal case is opened under “terrorist” or “extremist” articles of the Criminal Code, when operational information exists, by court decision recognizing an organization as terrorist or extremist, and also automatically for members of such organizations. Decisions are made by an interagency commission; a court process before inclusion is not required.
What consequences follow
Banks and other financial organizations must freeze (block) all transactions on the listed person’s accounts and property. Some transactions remain permitted: receiving salary, pension, and benefits, paying taxes and mandatory payments, and spending on basic living needs within the established limit. The limit is 10,000 ₽ per month for the listed person and the same amount for each disabled family member dependent on them.
What this means in practice
| Situation | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The bank sent a notice that the account was blocked, citing 115-FZ | Most likely, you have been added to the list; the account is frozen on the day of inclusion | Check yourself on the Rosfinmonitoring website; request a statement from the bank specifying the grounds |
| The bank refused to open a new account without explanation | Standard practice when someone is included in the list | Request a written refusal; challenge it through the interagency commission at the Bank of Russia |
| Salary is received, but only 10,000 ₽ per month can be withdrawn | The transaction restriction for listed persons is in effect | File an application with the bank confirming dependents — the limit will increase |
| A relative’s card has also been blocked | Possibly it is opened in the listed person’s name, or the relative has been added separately | Check the relative on the list; separate the accounts |
| The criminal case was closed, but the account is still frozen | Removal from the list does not happen automatically | File an application for removal with Rosfinmonitoring, attaching a copy of the order closing the case |
| A transfer from a relative was rejected with the note “countering the financing of terrorism” | The counterparty is being checked against the list | Check the recipient in the public version of the list |
How to check right now
The list is published on the Rosfinmonitoring website — this is the official and only reliable source. Search is possible by surname, first name, and date of birth. A matching full name without a matching date of birth does not mean inclusion in the list: there are many people with the same surname in the database.
In parallel, it is useful to check the Ministry of Internal Affairs wanted database through Wanted Radar and compare the data. The Rosfinmonitoring list and the Ministry of Internal Affairs wanted database are maintained independently: a person may be in one and not in the other. If the person appears in both at the same time, this indicates an opened criminal case under a “terrorist” or “extremist” article.
Check a full name in the Ministry of Internal Affairs wanted register
Warning signs vs false alarm
Actual inclusion in the list is visible by two signs at once: the entry on the Rosfinmonitoring website matches by surname and date of birth, and at the same time the bank has sent a freeze notice. If only the full name matches, but not the date of birth, and the account works normally, this is a namesake.
A separate category is inclusion for a “technical” reason: for example, when a case is opened under Article 280 of the Criminal Code (calls for extremist activity) for a repost. Here, the first step is to establish exactly which article the case is under, and then build a defense strategy with a lawyer.
How the list differs from other registers
This is the question most often asked by people encountering the system of repressive lists for the first time. Russia has several of them, they are maintained by different agencies, and their consequences differ.
- Rosfinmonitoring list — financial restrictions, account freezes, 10,000 ₽ limit. Out-of-court inclusion.
- Ministry of Justice foreign agents register — labeling of publications, reporting, ban on holding a number of positions. No financial blocking. More details are in our article on foreign agents.
- Prosecutor General’s Office register of undesirable organizations — for legal entities; participation by individuals carries the risk of criminal liability under Article 284.1 of the Criminal Code. Analysis is in the material on undesirable organizations.
- Ministry of Internal Affairs wanted database — for persons put on a wanted list; the basis is an investigator’s order, not an interagency commission.
How to appeal and get removed
- File an application with Rosfinmonitoring for removal from the list, attaching documents — an order closing the case, an acquittal, or other grounds.
- Review period — 10 business days.
- In parallel — an application to the interagency commission at the Bank of Russia to unblock specific transactions.
- In case of refusal — challenge it in court under the rules of administrative proceedings (Code of Administrative Court Procedure of the Russian Federation).
- Hire a lawyer specializing in 115-FZ — this is mandatory: the procedure is formalized and requires precise wording.
Disclaimer: this material is for informational purposes and is not legal advice. For a specific situation, contact a lawyer.
Conclusion
The list of terrorists and extremists is a financial and administrative mechanism that starts without a court and continues until the listed person personally files an application for removal. Knowing the limits, grounds, and procedures makes it possible to preserve basic financial capacity and build a defense properly.
Sources for self-checking: the list on the Rosfinmonitoring website (fedsfm.ru), OVD-Info (ОВД-Инфо) reference guide (the resource is blocked in the Russian Federation), the Ministry of Internal Affairs wanted database through Wanted Radar.