Translated material
Slanderers of the hydroelectric power station
The journalist is accused of spreading knowingly false information, "defaming the honor, dignity and undermining the business reputation of the leadership of the republic and the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station." In the New Focus, unofficial data were published on the scale of destruction and the number of victims as a result of the accident at the hydroelectric power station.
Mikhail Afanasyev answered the questions of the Radio Liberty correspondent.
- What did you tell in the prosecutor's office?
- At first, I was called at two in the afternoon to give an explanation about my note that there are living people at the hydroelectric power station and show signs of life, that is, they are knocking, trying to somehow attract attention. The assistant prosecutor Abakan took the explanation from me. I honestly told him everything, because we immediately decided that we would not hide anything, including the source that this information provided is the deputy of the city council of Sayanogorosk Grigory Nazarenko.
- Today he does not refuse his words?
- No, no, he is in the same position as me. He had a search yesterday, like mine. The assistant prosecutor called me without fifteen seven in the evening and asked to come again, to make some additions. As soon as I went to him, two operatives came in. They outlined me in the Abakan Internal Affairs Directorate, where I spent about half past nine in the corridor. They turned quite correctly: "Mr. Afanasyev ...", they brought water. Out of my ear, I heard a conversation that "it must be kept up to ten." I immediately realized why they hold me up to ten - because there will be six in Moscow, and there would be no one to intervene. Well, at half -past ten they brought me into the office, where the investigator told me that a criminal case was instituted on me under the article “Slander”. I slandered ... if you may, I will read out:
"Afanasyev, possessing reliable and official information that continuous work is underway to eliminate the current emergency and measures to search for missing people, acting with their minds to slander, extended obviously false information, defaming the honor and dignity of officials, the leadership of the Republic of Khakassia and the leadership of the Khakassia and the leadership SSHHSC, connected with the accusation of a grave crime under part 3rd of Article 293 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, including the head of the Civil Defense Department, the Extraordinary Situations and Fire Security of the RX of A. Firsov, director of the RusHydro OJSC N.I. N.I. Nevoko and others, posting a note in the Internet magazine “New Focus” and on the “Livejournal” website that the knocks of people are heard in the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station, there are surviving people who are at a depth of up to 4 meters, but this fact hides the leadership of the Khakassia and the leadership of the SSHSP and does not take measures to save them. ” And the decision: "To initiate a criminal case against Afanasyev."
Constantly the head of the administration spoke on television and called for calm, and people regarded this the opposite, that is, on the contrary, everyone ran
Like this. Immediately I was presented with a decree on the production of a personal search. Everyone pulled me out of my pockets, from my bag. They seized the phone, the keys to the apartment and from the garage. After that, the company of an expert on computer equipment, two witnesses, two operatives, a lawyer and investigator brought me home. A computer and all the disks, all flash drives were removed from the house.
- How do you explain all this?
- I think, from someone on top was a team to plug the mouth. So we are three - I, a deputy of the city council of Sayanogorsk Grisha Nazarenko and Eric Cherneshov, also from Sayanogorsk, who worked directly at the SSHSC - did not fit into a good picture that everything is remarkable and the power does everything. And for us, in principle, it is impossible to make our point of view with them, especially after a panic that was in Abakan. Constantly the head of the administration spoke on television and called for calm, and people regarded this the opposite, that is, on the contrary, everyone ran.
Both I, as a journalist and my colleagues, Grisha and Eric, are well aware that the concealment of information, which was really extremely necessary for people to make the right decision, cannot be helped. And we gave honestly, objectively the very information that was reliable. And here's how they answered this - they closed their mouths. I do not think this is the initiative of local authorities. Law enforcement agencies somehow decided ... They received an instruction, this is visible - even from this resolution. Because it is written on top that the criminal case against me under the 129th article was instituted on the report of the assistant prosecutor, and below it is already written that nevertheless the applicants were-by the name of Firsov and Nereloko.
In principle, according to the 129th article, the prosecutor’s office, police or someone else is not initiated. This is a private prosecution case. That is, if these gentlemen decided that they were slandered, they have the right to apply to the court in order of private prosecution. The criminal case could be instituted by law enforcement agencies in only one case: if the offended were in a helpless state. Of course, maybe they were in a helpless state - they spread out of slander and fell directly, I don’t know. But, by and large, this is strange, this is a regulation on the law. And the wording itself: "Possessing reliable and official information"? That is, it is meant that official information is already in principle the truth. And then some renegades gave out inaccurate information that people die and we should save them. We do not fit, do not fit, in other words.
- What information about this do local public organizations have?
- It is difficult for me to talk about local public organizations, because the Human Rights Commission and the Public Chamber of the Republic of Khakassia are in the government building, on the same floor with the chairman of the government. How much do I live in
It is meant that official information is already in principle the truth. And then some renegades issued false information that people die and we should save them ...The republic - I have no idea who leads there, what people are there, what they do. Well, there is a sign "Public Chamber", there is a sign "Commission on Human Rights", well, there is and is. Naturally, I never counted on any help. I recently had colleagues in the Human Rights Commission, so at one mention of my surname, everyone twisted all there, in the sense of discontent on my face. So there is no help, even in a word ... I think now, on the contrary, they say that, yes, yes, let's already get tired, let's just bury it somewhere underground or put it somewhere, otherwise we’ll get tired.
Everything is wonderful, everything is fine - so everyone says here. Our independent press, of course, went there and said that everything is fine. The government of the government came out and said that everything was fine. Minister Shoigu came out and said that everything was fine. But some were found that they say - not good ...
By the way, that people are in the flooded machine room, that they knock, that two people were saved on these knocks was said by all officials that I can imagine. Moreover, these interviews are recorded, publicly available, they can be listened to, download. For example, the press secretary of the Ministry of Emergencies for Khakassia, Irina Butenko, announced this on this on August 10, the newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda. The Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper in good faith printed this, posted a file where Irina says that, yes, knocks are heard and two people were saved on these knocks. Finally, today I read an interview with a rescuer on the Internet, who says that, yes, indeed, everything is so.
- What last information do you have today? Do people still stay there?
- Probably remain. I'm just not sure they are alive. Honestly, it is very painful for me to talk about it. Yesterday, the policeman and I had one heartbreaking conversation. We talked with him like a man, and I told him: “Listen, if you were flooded, flooded, if you lived on the last outburst, and I had at least a thousandth of the chance that if I write, I may have helped you, I would still write, I would still write, I would still publish, even under the threat of me, because I don’t know how to talk with my own. Conscience ". And so he just mumbles, says, says: “I am a bonded person, I am a bonded person ...” I told him who he is.
- According to your data, four more people are in a flooded room.
- I don’t know, because last night I had to meet with our sources that informed us exactly about the knocks, and it did not take place. It is very difficult to say something, a lot of time has passed.
***
The fourth day continues a rescue operation at the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station. It is reported that the number of victims of the accident reached 17 people and about 60 are listed as missing; Their search continues. The exact cause of the incident is still unknown, said the head of the Russian Emergencies Ministry Sergei Shoigu.
The suspect in the slander Mikhail Afanasyev - Laureate of the Andrei Sakharov Prize "For Journalism as an Act" in 2004.