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Why Roy Jones Jr. became a Russian

Is Jones's move part of Russian President Vladimir Putin鈥檚 ongoing campaign to collect political trophies?

The decision of former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Roy Jones Jr., to become a Russian citizen may be less about race relations in the US and more about Russian President Vladimir Putin鈥檚 ongoing campaign to collect political trophies.

Mr. Jones is now a Russian citizen, published by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the Kremlin鈥檚 Web site on Saturday.

According to ABC News, Jones . The two met in person in August over a cup of tea in Crimea. Jones is reported to have told Putin that citizenship would make it easier for him to do business in Russia.

This move by Jones does not bear the hallmarks of a revival of the 1920s African-American celebrity exodus to foreign soil for the purpose of racial equality. At that time, dancer/singer Josephine Baker famously left America to enjoy greater civil rights and acceptance in France, and performer moved to England where he could more freely express his support of Communist politics and the Soviet Union. Langston Hughes, author at the forefront of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, flirted with the notion of defection to Russia for the same reasons.

Nevertheless, in an interview with Gazeta.ru, Jones indicated that he was at least partly motivated by a feeling that he would . He said that, 鈥淎fter my arrival in Russia, I saw that there is a large community of boxers. I also felt appreciated in Russia. Maybe even a lot more than I was valued and appreciated in my own country.鈥�

Chad Marlow, Advocacy and Policy Counsel for the ACLU says in an interview, 鈥淎s an American [Jones] has the right to express his dissatisfaction in any way that he wishes to and if he chooses to do that by defecting to Russia that鈥檚 his option 鈥� as an American.鈥�

鈥淭here鈥檚 no comparison between the civil rights and civil liberties [someone] in American is entitled to vs someone in Russia. It is vastly, vastly superior civil rights and liberties in the United States to those in Russia. There鈥檚 no question about that,鈥� Mr. Marlow adds.

Garry Kasparov, famed Russian chess grandmaster turned dissident and author of the new book 鈥�,鈥� says in an interview that this is more a case of Putin cherrypicking celebrities from around the world for political purposes.

鈥淭his is just a typical trick to get some headlines and needle Putin鈥檚 enemies,鈥� Kasparov says. 鈥淗e hosts Gerard Depardieu to complain about French taxes, Edward Snowden to attack the US on cybersecurity, and now maybe Roy Jones Jr. on racial injustice. It鈥檚 a standard propaganda ploy to troll the West and to deflect attention from the economic problems and lack of rights in Putin鈥檚 dictatorship and as such it should be ignored.鈥�

In 2011 聽reported that Jones faced liens from the IRS over unpaid taxes to the tune of just over $3.5 million.

Back in 2013, Russia welcomed French actor who fought the French government over taxation issues.聽

Speaking out against Russia鈥檚 crackdown on human rights and online freedom before the Norwegian Academy of Literature and Freedom of Expression's Bjornson Prize on September 5, Edward Snowden said he had "never intended to go to Russia."

"I applied for asylum in 21 countries. They were all silent. Russia was actually one of the last countries in that sequence that I applied for," said Snowden, according to the (AFP).

Kasparov adds, 鈥淧utin鈥檚 oppression is driving educated Russians out while he鈥檚 rolling out the red carpet for [foreigners]."

笔耻迟颈苍听 to have told Jones that citizenship was possible if he intended to live in Russia much of the time. Jones answered that he hoped sport could help "build a bridge" between the US and Russia.

Jones that he hoped to speedily learn the Russian language, develop his rap career, and also to "earn two or three billion dollars," opening boxing schools in Russia.