Kasparov: Putin's growing popularity is a myth

In Russia, civil rights are trampled in the same way as in Zimbabwe and Belarus. This was stated by the leader of the United Civil Front Harry Kasparov. According to him, this is confirmed by cruel repressions against protest manifestations in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Kasparov was arrested at the moment when he on foot reached the participants of the "Marsh of the Disagreement", organized by the opposition movement "Another Russia", which he heads. In the evening of the same day, Kasparov was released and since that time he was again in the spotlight. This time due to the new call, now against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kasparov believes that the use of violence against manifestants is the choice of the Kremlin, writes La Repubblica .

“To apply gross power in order to intimidate the people and make it clear that he does not intend to go to any compromise with civil society. In Moscow and St. Petersburg, many left the squares out of fear of being beaten,” the chess player explained. Meanwhile, according to him, "a close -knit participation in the marches these days showed that, despite the efforts undertaken by the authorities, the period of social apathy ended." (Full text on the website inopressa.ru ).

The fact that in the struggle against the opposition, Putin relies on undisguised state force on Monday is also written by the German newspaper Tageszeitung . The fact that with Putin’s controlled democracy, any manifestations of open protest suppress the most cruel way, not news, the publication notes.

Methods are also known: anti-government demonstrations are not permitted, and if they are still carried out, they are accelerated using force. Participants are arrested, and at best, demonstrators are finished with cash fines. Journalists are not allowed to cover such events if they are generally trying to do it. (Full text on the website inopressa.ru )

And yet: what happened last Saturday during a demonstration organized by Putin’s opponents in Moscow, even by Russian standards, had a completely different property. The forces of the law and order, as if breaking off the chain, attacked not only the participants in the demonstration, but also on peaceful passers -by. Several dozen detainees, like cattle, were loaded into the police "UAZ. Similar methods showed: people and their rights were literally trampled in mud.

The regime resorting to such repressive measures and discrediting itself in this way, in all likelihood, is fear. But here the question arises: what can Putin and his close associates be afraid of? Future parliamentary and presidential elections-from the point of view of maintaining the status quo-a question is solved, and they would not even have to be carried out. Most Russians were disappointed in politics and prefer to “choose” Autocracy a la Putin, and not even a democratic, but very unreliable future. Putin has nothing to fear and pressure from the West. Against the backdrop of prosperous economic relations, human rights violations have long turned for those who make political decisions into one of the unimportant topics.

Kasparov claims that despite all the statements about the growing popularity of President Putin, the reality is completely different.

“The clan, who is in power, knows that it is guilty that it can be blackmailed in the future. And now he is trembling. If the support that the president uses, such as it describes the obstructive press, then Putin should not be afraid of anything. Imagine a manifestation in which only 3 thousand people participate. The Kremlin is well known that folk sympathy for opposition movements is growing. And that this process cannot be stopped.

However, the leader of the United Civil Front believes, in the future, a new twisting of nuts from the regime should be expected. According to him, the repression will continue.

“Power never draws conclusions from the past. The Kremlin’s fear will grow before the expression of folk moods. Fear will grow to the very parliamentary elections in December and the presidential election in March 2008. You see, now there is a struggle for the future presidential mandate between different clans. Putin’s future successors during this struggle are exchanged by blows,” Kasparov explained. He hopes that international solidarity in relation to the Russian opposition will continue. “For us, this is strong moral support,” he added.

“Tell the heads of your governments that we live in a police state,” Kasparov shouted to foreign journalists.