Translated material
Drama on the sidelines
Unfinished play for the Investigative Committee
Drama on the sidelines
Scenes from Russian life in three actions, with a prologue and epilogue
Actors
And also: assistants, guards Bastrykin A.I., chief editors of federal media, journalists, 150 employees of the UK in the North Caucasus District
| Art. 144 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation: 1. Obligence of the legitimate professional activities of journalists /... /2. The same act committed by a person using his official position /... /3. Acts provided for by parts of the first or second of this article, combined with violence against a journalist or his relatives /..., as well as the threat of such violence, are punishable by enforcement work for a period of up to five years or imprisonment of freedom A term of up to six years with deprivation of the right to occupy certain positions or engage in certain activities for up to three years or without it. Note: investigated by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. |
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From the author
There is nothing worse and more wrong than when a journalist becomes a subject of news and newspaper notes. This means that either the journalist is killed, either crippled, or expelled from the country for his professional activity, or became the object of political or other censorship. In the Martirologist of Novaya Gazeta there are 4 killed journalists and 2 author - by three killer or customers have not yet been found and/or not convicted. Therefore, the open letter of the editor -in -chief of the newspaper Dmitry Muratov, addressed to the head of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Alexander Bastrykin in the issue of June 13, 2012, in which Muratov wrote: “You rudely threatened the life of my deputy”, Sergei Sokolov, not only Russian, but also the world media. And although the story ended with the public reconciliation of the sides and the shock of the hands, it is early to put the point in this matter.
Prologue
On June 4, the New Gazeta published a comment by Sergey Sokolov to the story of the verdict of deputy Sergei Tsepovyaz, who the investigation accused 12 people in the famous Kushchevka of covering the murder. Sentence: 150 thousand rubles. According to the newspaper, the deputy is “the right hand of the leader of the gang of the tsapkov”, and the similar “softness” of the court became possible because “in our country is different power: not Putin, sitting on his reverent interest, not a homerge gull with Bastrykin, not all these Gryzlovs and Patrushevs. All of them are just a servant of countless Russian rappers. Tsapki is the support of their power, and they are the support of the Tsapkovsky business, ”Sokolov wrote. On the newspaper website a note and comment appeared late in the evening. And already at 8.35, a call rang out in Sokolov’s apartment: “The chairman of the Investigative Committee wants to talk to you ...” The conversation was nervous: Colonel General Bastrykin said that the article insulted him, and ... suggested that the head of the same investigative brigade should speak with him at the Kushchevka report, ”said the NEWS. Times Dmitry Muratov. Sokolov agreed. They flew from the VIP terminal of Vnukovo-3 on an airplane of the chairman of the UK. The journalist was put in the tail of the plane, along with the protection. All two hours that flew, no one except the stewardesses with him uttered a word.
First action **
June 4. Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. First, the cemetery, at which the investigator of the 2nd department for the investigation of the particularly important cases of the Republican Investigation of Alim Vorokov, a meeting with the family and children of the deceased, then the large hall of the republican investigative department of the IC of the Russian Federation is buried. In the hall-about 150 employees of the UK in the North Caucasus District, invited journalists, cameras, including, as they say, VGTRK.
| Hereinafter - reconstruction by sources and released audio recordings on the website Lifenews.ru. |
Bastrykin - Sokolov: Come here, to the Presidium
Sokolov sits in the place indicated to him next to the head of the IC of the Russian Federation, he gets up and begins to speak, turning to the hall or the journalist. He says that the Bastrykin family of the Cossacks, that his parents have front -line soldiers, that he has four children and 25 thousand employees of subordination, thousands of students, and Sokolov dared to "accuse that I had entered into a criminal conspiracy with the Tsapkovsky mafia."
*Sokolov: I would like to apologize for my sharp statements, however, I am sure that there were reasons for this, and I will try to prove it in the near future ...
Bastrykin: Do you want to get rid of some kind of apology? Sergei Mikhailovich, in tsarist times for this they called to a duel!
Sokolov: I'm ready.
Bastrykin: Ready, yes? And I'm not ready to fight with you, you have no honor! And your Gad newspaper / ... / What does she want to achieve? / .../ I have not shown you to all my ... free! / .../ out of here.*
| Alexey Simonov was a member of the Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights under the President of the Russian Federation, but ten days ago left it. |
Phrases highlighted above in large print, as well as other sharp words, sometimes behind the line of censorship vocabulary, do not in the audio recording, which miraculously ended up at the disposal of Lifenews.ru and published on June 13. But the fact that the phrase was such or similar in meaning was reported by The New Times by Sergey Sokolov himself and the president of the publicity protection fund Alexei Simonov , who is familiar with the explanatory note by Sokolov in the name of the chief editor of the newspaper Muratov, which the journalist wrote on the evening of June 5. At the disposal of Lifenews, according to Alexander Potapov, the Izvesty chief editor and the head of the Joint editorial office of the News Media holding, on June 14 at the meeting in the interfax of the chairman of the Investigative Committee of Bastrykin with the main editors of the federal media, there is a record of a total of 30 minutes. On the site is laid out 1 min. and 29 sec. "Why didn't they all post it?" - asked the author. - "Who will listen to 30 minutes?" - The answer followed. “We will be, you give a record, and we will decide,” answered the editor -in -chief of Echo of Moscow Alexei Venediktov, who offered to give her broadcast on the air. At the time of signing the number, the full record never appeared. Meanwhile, then there was a video in Nalchik. According to The New Times, it also has it with a freelance correspondent for the State Information Agency RIA Novosti. However, he categorically refused to share the “Novaya Gazeta” proposal.
| Dmitry Kholodov, a correspondent of the Moscow Komsomolets newspaper, was killed in the workplace on 10/17/1994 using an explosive device, which was laid down in the transmitted loop portfolio. On suspicion of the murder, the former head of the airborne intelligence, Colonel Pavel Popovsky, former commander of the special forces of the Airborne Forces, Major Vladimir Morozov and a number of others were detained. They were judged by the Moscow District Military Court, but they were justified for the lack of evidence. The case has not yet been uncovered. |
Muratov - The New Times, June 13: This reminds me of Kholodov. Such a message of Grachev in Sochi (in 1994-Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation) that you, de, cannot talk so that he (Kholodov) wrote differently. The message went, reached the sergeants of the tops, lieutenants, someone else, and began to construct diplomats, “Moscow Komsomolets” to blow up ...
Alexander Bastrykin himself has such a subtext in his words addressed to Sergey Sokolov categorically denies, and the sharpness of his words characterizes as "emotional breakdown, which, of course, is unforgivable to a person of my position."
Intermission
Obeying “out of here!”, Sokolov left the SK building - to smoke, get together with his thoughts and figure out how to get away from Nalchik: the flight aircraft to Moscow was only the next morning.
Sokolov - The New Times, June 14: Bastrykin’s guards came up, said that we would go together - they were quite friendly. Then one of the employees of the SK Kabardino-Balkaria took my bag from me, offered to go to the building. And then I have never been alone. It never occurred to me what would happen next.
Further cars, an airfield, the plane of the chairman of the UK. The journalist was again put in the tail of the liner, next to the guard. There were no conversations on the plane. As always on such flights, the stewardess offered dinner: Sokolov drank 50 grams of cognac. “And not a gram more: I was absolutely sober,” he says. We sat down in Vnukovo-3. Several black cars approached the ladder. A journalist was held in one of them. The chairman of the SK was driving to another, plus cars with special forces (8 people).
The second action
June 4, Moscow Ring Road, clearing on the 61st kilometer of the Moscow Ring Road
Sokolov-The New Times, June 14: we went from Vnukovo towards Moscow, left the Moscow Ring Road, moved Mozhaika (Mozhayskoye Shosse) and somewhere between Mozhaika and Marshal Zhukov, this is about the 61st km on the inside of the Moscow Ring Road, the cars turned onto the clearing, drove 300 meters deep, and there were no buildings on the sides, and stopped.
Bastrykin - Izvestia newspaper, June 14: “Alexander Ivanovich, interrogation with addiction in the forest - is this a new type of communication between the Investigative Committee with journalists?” - “Throw it. At least do not repeat the stupidity and insinuations of unscrupulous colleagues. Now in essence. The first - in the forest, I have not even remembered how many years. "
In the evening of the same June 14, it became known: the conversation with the journalist Sokolov was “on the sidelines”, said the head of the UK.
Simonov - The New Times: Late on the evening of June 5, I read Sokolov’s explanatory note in the editorial office of Novaya Gazeta, and he told me. The phrases, as I wrote down in a notebook, in this forest conversation with Bastrykin were as follows: “They will cut off your head, and your legs will be in another place. No one will find, but if they find, then I will investigate. ” The threats were murdered repeatedly. More: "Sh ... Politkovskaya also worked for Americans, received fifteen thousand euros."
Bastrykin - Izvestia newspaper, June 14: “And, strangely enough, the letter (the chief editor of Novaya Gazeta, the head of the UK, published on June 13) appeared immediately after the searches held by the Investigative Committee with the leaders of the non -systemic opposition. - Again the machinations of the State Department? “I didn’t say this, but the facts are a stubborn thing, it is impossible to refute them.”
Sokolov - The New Times, June 14: The threats were very different. He was an extremely person. The New Times: "And specifically?" - Bastrykin apologized to me today, and once again I apologized for excessive emotionality in my note. Therefore, I would not like ... I am most confused that this word is against the word. - The New Times: "Wasn't there a tape recorder in your pocket?" - No, it never occurred to me that it would happen.
Simonov - The New Times: Sergey took this conversation very seriously - as absolutely real threats. I have no doubt about the veracity of his story: this is the way they say in their circle about the press. They (people of power) seriously believe in it.
The interlocutors in law enforcement agencies, however, emphasize: Bastrykin did not send a “secret killer” to the journalist, he himself said with him. He could send his special forces to the “roadcap” or to the clearing of his special forces - after all, they were as many as eight, but no, he himself decided to talk with Sokolov. Almost children's frankness of this “could send, but did not” affect no less than the quote from explanatory Sokolov cited by the head of the publication fund. The order on the chest, or something, should you hang for the fact that the journalist was not beaten, not crippled, not killed? And if tomorrow it changes and sends?
Intermission
On June 6, the “New Gazeta” printed in print Mr. Bastrykin for the excessive emotionality of the article by Sergei Sokolov. The deputy himself. The chief editor was already outside the country by that time: Muratov was actually afraid of his life after the journalist became an exhibit for “young and hot Caucasian guys” at a meeting in Nalchik, as he described those who were at a meeting in the UK building in Nalchik, one of the interlocutors in law enforcement agencies. Sokolov’s mobile phone was silent. The editor -in -chief of Novye, meanwhile, tried to agree on a meeting with the head of the UK Bastrykin. Unsuccessfully. On June 13, his letter appeared in the newspaper. Journalists of a number of publications came out with single pickets to the building of the Investigative Committee in the technical lane of the capital with different, but very creative and evil posters. Five journalists were detained, sent to Avtosak. Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “Vladimir Putin has been reported to media reports on this subject”-in the sense of the conflict of the head of the IC of the Russian Federation with the journalist of Novaya Gazeta.
The third action
June 14, Moscow, the office of the editor -in -chief of Echo of Moscow Alexei Venediktov on New Arbat, 11; Studio "Echo"; Hall of meetings of the Interfax agency on the 1st Tverskaya-Yamskaya, house 2.
Bastrykin - Izvestia newspaper, June 14, Morning: “But there was no investigation. There is only a letter from the editor -in -chief of Novaya Gazeta, where facts and frank lies are very competently mixed / ... / - Do you not feel your guilt? - I agree, for me an unacceptable luxury to show emotions. It was necessary to endure, and not try to clarify the unscrupulous journalist, where the good is and where is evil. I have nothing to apologize to the New Gazeta. ”
Venediktov - The New Times: at 9.53 (all the same on June 14), Alexander Bastrykin called me and said that he "wants to understand what he should do so that journalists could work freely."
Venediktov - Bastrykin: Lost a day. I am ready to organize an independent platform for your meeting with the chief editors.
| Major General of Justice Vladimir Markin-Head of the Department of Interaction with the Mass Media of the IC of the Russian Federation. |
Muratov - The New Times, June 14, evening: I flew to Sokolov. Just landed: a call from Markin, then from Bastrykin. I sat in the same plane and flew to Moscow.
At this time, the leading “reversal” on “Echo of Moscow” Matvey Ganapolsky and Tatyana Felgenhauer unsuccessfully try to get a comment from the management of interaction with the media of the IC of the Russian Federation.
The New Times - Venediktov: In the morning there is an interview with Bastrykin with “I have nothing to apologize for”, and suddenly - ready. What has changed?
Venediktov: I think that he had a conversation with Putin, and he told him something like: "Remove the situation yourself."
June 14, 17.30. Interfax: Bastrykin, Venediktov, Muratov and the head of the agency Mikhail Commissioner retired in the office. Nearby, in the meeting room, the chief editors, among whom were the author, are waiting for a meeting with the head of the UK.
Bastrykin - to reporters, June 14, 18.40: I thank Alexei Alekseevich (Venediktov) for the efficiency with which our meeting is organized. I want to explain why I was silent for three days: I read the letter of Dmitry Andreevich (Muratov), when I was far from Moscow, I didn’t hide from anyone, I arrived in Moscow yesterday, but I had a meeting with the French delegation of a high level from the Ministry of Internal Affairs ... I would like to start with Dmitry Andreevich and his newspaper an apology for the emotional breakdown that was at the meeting (in the meeting (in the meeting ( Nalchik) ...
Muratov - colleagues: I want to thank you for the support that was provided to us when it seemed to us that we were already in an insurmountable situation ...
Muratov - The New Times: Let's compare the events of October 2006 and what happened now, in June 2012. Then, after the murder of Anna Stepanovna Politkovskaya, Putin told the phrase that her death had done more harm than her work. And besides several independent media, nothing and no one was fluttered. Abroad - it was slanted, but in the country - no. And now Sokolov’s threat had an incredible resonance: not only did I read my open letter on the newspaper’s website 450 thousand people, but colleagues, outstanding artists, directors came out with pickets. And this is the victory of civil society.
Muratov - Bastrykin: everyone has emotional breakdowns. We apologized for our emotional breakdown, thanks for accepting them. We accept your apologies. We do not want to crush this day for some stages-it was the hardest day of June 4. I would like us to tear this sheet of the calendar and drive.
However, they did not “drive”: the chief editors asked about the episode in the forest. Bastrykin replied: "Yes, there was a conversation, but not in the forest, but on the sidelines."
Muratov is Bastrykin: if I understand correctly, an unspoken or other displeasure no longer hangs over Sergey Sokolov, and we no longer fear for his life. You bury your employees, and we bury ... I would like to ask you: we work in the North Caucasus, and maybe you could make some efforts so that after this meeting (in Nalchik), so emotional, the hunting season was not opened on our employees ...
The head of the UK promised to make efforts.
Epilogue
Sokolov - The New Times, June 14, late evening: Bastrykin called me, apologized for what was in Nalchik and for what was on the Moscow road.
Simonov - The New Times: In my memory, this is the first time that the minister brings public apology.
Masha Hessen, editor -in -chief “Around the World”, on his page on Facebook: “In general, the result of the day is. Sergei Sokolov cannot now be taken to the forest and threatened with reprisal. But all other journalists are possible. ”
Бастрыкин — Муратову, 14 июня: Через 2–3 месяца дело Политковской, я думаю, будет передано в суд.
The New Times — Муратову: Правда, Бастрыкин подарил Сергею Соколову часы?
Муратов — The New Times: Да, он приехал с целой коробкой подарков. Но самое главное: Соколов может вернуться в страну, Москву, расследование убийства Политковской будет продолжено. Посадить ее убийц для нас — вопрос чести. И за это я готов терпеть обиды коллег.
The New Times — Муратову, 13 июня: Ты расцениваешь слова Бастрыкина — Соколову как реальную угрозу?
Муратов: Безусловно. Эти слова принадлежали руководителю российского ФБР. Им, знаешь, нравится такой бандитский стиль поведения. Они Конституцию заменили понятиями /…/
Curtain.