"Far-right" is not necessarily a neo-Nazi

On August 16, 2007, the Kovrov City Court satisfied the claim of the mayor of the city of Kovrov (Vladimir region) Irina Tabatskova and the Eurasian Youth Union for the protection of honor, dignity and business reputation against the editors of the newspaper "Echo of the Week - 33" for a series of publications in which the publication drew attention to close cooperation between the mayor and ECM activists.

There were 5 posts:

• Carpets can become a hotbed of brown plague // Echo-Contacts. 2006. May 10. No. 18 (370) (July 27, 2006, the newspaper "Echo-Contacts" was re-registered under a new name - "Echo of the Week - 33");

• Carpets to become a training base for neo-Nazis // Echo of the week-33. 2006. December 29. No. 34 (387);

• Why is the mayor's office friendly with those who want to destroy Russia? // There. 2006. September 12. No. 36 (389);

• Lord of the earth // Ibid. 2006. September 26. No. 38 (391)

• "Crusade" campaign against "EN-33" // Ibid. 2006. October 17. No. 41(394).

On October 2, 2007, the Vladimir Regional Court approved a decision in which the statements that the ESM is "a nationalist, fascist, neo-fascist, neo-Nazi organization that opposes the current state structure of Russia, dividing all people into friends and foes according to skin color, are untrue, the shape of the eyes and the religion professed, is the ideological heir of the Nazis, opposes the president of the country, against the state"; that "the head of Kovrov, Irina Tabatskova, provides hospitality to neo-Nazis" ; that "Irina Tabatskova every time puts at the disposal of neo-fascists (Eurasians) a municipal camp" .

However, the situation associated with publications is much more complicated than it seems at first glance.

Firstly, I. Tabatskova has extremely tense relations with the regional administration, which uses all resources to discredit Mayor Kovrov. The newspaper "Echo of the Week - 33" is one such resource. As a result, all anti-mayor publications, especially those appearing in this newspaper, are perceived by many residents of Kovrov solely as slander.

Secondly, Alexander Dugin's ESM does not really oppose "against the current state structure of Russia" and even more so does not oppose "against the president of the country, against the state . " On the contrary, the ESM is a pronounced pro-presidential organization (in particular, it is among the "youth organizations" that take part in meetings with representatives of the Presidential Administration of Russia).

Third, the ESM is not a neo-Nazi organization. But at the same time, the ESM is a clearly expressed ultra-right organization, which not only uses xenophobic propaganda in its activities, but is also directly involved in a number of violent acts committed on the motive of ideological and religious hatred. Moreover, the organization not only does not hide this, but also openly takes responsibility for such actions. And I. Tabatskova, knowing very well the nature and ideology of the ESM, really cooperates with him.

The results of the propaganda war against the mayor are deplorable.

The information of the "military leaflets" working to discredit I. Tabatskova, given the popularity of the latter in the city, is perceived exactly the opposite ("if they write that the ESM are bad, then they are good"). As a result, local public activists, who are concerned about the growth of xenophobia, do not criticize Tabatskova for real cooperation with the ultra-right.

In general, the use of propaganda clichés - bright (like accusations of fascism or disloyalty to President Putin), but inaccurate, unsubstantiated or directly untrue - very often leads to a loss in subsequent legal proceedings. And then success in court is used by an ultra-right organization to legitimize its activities.

Sources

• The regional court confirmed the obligation of "Echo of the week -" 33 "to publish refutation // Official site of the administration of Kovrov. 2007. October.