Jelena Isinbayeva embroiled in tax debt controversy, faces sanctions

Jelena Isinbayeva is a monumental figure in Russian sports. However, she is now disowned by her nation. After a period of silence on the subject, one of the portals reported that the legendary athlete is indebted in her country.

There is no need to speak about Jelena Isinbayeva's greatness, as her achievements speak for themselves. A global sports icon, she is an Olympic, World, and European champion. She made her mark in history with her outstanding performances in the pole vault.

Isinbayeva has never hidden her excellent relations with Vladimir Putin, and she was even called his favorite. Hence, it is no surprise that her presence on the International Olympic Committee's Athletes' Commission was widely commented on—negatively, of course—after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.

The former athlete ultimately lost her job at the IOC, but she returned to international activities. It was determined that Isinbayeva was not subject to any sanctions. Isinbayeva shocked her compatriots, who began to criticize her publicly. After all, the 41-year-old distanced herself from Russia and moved to Spain, residing in Tenerife.

There was no new information about Isinbayeva in Russia for a long time, but this has finally changed. On Friday, the portal news.ru published an article about her current situation.

It reports that the legendary athlete is indebted to her country. The source states that the 41-year-old owes the tax office almost half a million rubles. This translates to slightly over 6,800 Canadian dollars.

The article noted that Isinbayeva must repay these arrears to avoid having her Russian accounts frozen. Moreover, the Federal Tax Service has already fined her for late payments,.

Anton Patrakeev commented on the whole matter. The Russian lawyer noted that criminal liability may be incurred if tax evasion is deliberate and a court issues an appropriate judgment.