About Andrei Stenin and the future of Ukraine

The war does the same with society as the public execution - removes prohibitions. The most negative thing that can happen to Ukraine in this war is the “leaky” of society. When, in the name of "military necessity", first one ban is removed, then the second, then the third. When those actions and situations that are unacceptable in peaceful life begin to approve.

This is not happening at once, not immediately. First, one step, then the second, and ten between the “norm” and the “military necessity” is already an abyss, which is much more difficult to step back.

I subconsciously hoped that Ukraine would be able to avoid this. Although I know that the psychological breakup occurs in two to three months. Then hatred begins, the desire to take revenge, bitterness. After that, the war cannot be stopped by political methods. From this moment, she can only burn out herself.

Hatred can burn out only by itself.

But all the wars were the same again.

And the first steps to the "leaky" of Ukrainian society are already visible.

* * *

The situation with RIA Novosti Andrei Stenin became the indicator. While with a group of fighters of the DPR near Shakhtersky, he witnessed the battle in which the Ukrainian army suffered losses and several of her soldiers were captured. Then, according to the adviser to the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Anton Gerashchenko, Stenin was captured by the Ukrainian special services.

Let's briefly consider the claims that stenin present.

There are several of them. The main ones: Stenin was with the “terrorists”, removed the bodies of the dead, torture and execution of prisoners, did not prevent them, did not provide medical assistance to the wounded, distorted the information and supported terrorism with his photographs, participated in interrogations. And less heavy - illegally crossed the border and worked without accreditation.

So, by points.

First - was on the side of the "terrorists." A military photographer should be in the war. On one side or another. Was able to establish contacts and get to the front line on this side? Well done. Was able to establish contacts and get to the front line on the other side? Great. The conflict should be highlighted as much as possible. This is an axiom. Personal preferences or antipathy are secondary. Finding on the most advanced - just an indicator of the work performed. There can be nothing else.

The second - shot dead, torture and execution. And what else did he have to shoot there? The journalist is obliged - is obliged! - Fix everything that is a witness. Behind this he is there.

For example, I don’t like Andrei Stenin’s political views at all. I’m completely, very, very, very-I don't like the place of his work. But at the institute he was in the very first rows. Under fire. And shot under fire. Together with everyone. Dead and wounded. And twenty-five minutes later crawled out from there, from under the fire. And then, including his photographs, they parted around the world. Became evidence.

Society believes that a war crime has been committed? Well O'Kay. Here is evidence for you.

Third. I did not prevent torture and murder. In Georgia, the Yamadaevites took prisoners. They said that they would now make the “load 200” out of them. I went to Yamadaev and said that I would not let them kill. Then I really was ready to become with them. In Kyrgyzstan, I refused to remove the Uzbeks detained at the checkpoint, supposedly snipers, and the construction cartridges found in them were presented as evidence. I said that this is nonsense, I won’t shoot. Then it worked.

Ninety -nine percent fights for good and justice. And each side considers opponents beasts and sadists.

But will I have enough gut thicknesses to do this again? I'm not sure at all. On the Maidan, a captive vaushnik, who was beaten ten, was beaten by a man of ten. I could no longer fit, I was just shell -shocked, shouted only: "Do not beat." As a result, this guy's eyes were embroidered. Those very waverists are fighting now in the southeast.

Fearing their captured soldiers is the task of the state. Negotiations, special forces, conducting special operations and competent planning, so that - first of all, to prevent the fighters from getting into captivity. Can't you? Make so that they can. But do not transfer this responsibility to photographers. Before judging, try to pull out at least one yourself. These claims are accepted only from those who managed to do this.

Fourth. He did not provide medical assistance to the wounded. Was there an opportunity? And we have no idea, tried to provide it or not. Was there at least an individual package? For some reason, it is believed that the journalist in the war is the king and God and what is happening depends on him. Yes, nothing like that. You are there at all on bird rights. Today you have lunch with the fighters, and tomorrow you are sitting in their pit.

Fifth. He supported terrorism with his photographs. How? The camera just fixes.

We will not talk about Russian propaganda agencies, for some reason calling themselves the media, everything is clear with them. What they do is a crime even under Russian law. But what does the photographer have to do with this?

And the sixth. Participated in interrogations. This item is generally incomprehensible to me. Journalism is to ask questions. That is, to extract information. For example, the name and surname of the prisoner. Which can then be transferred to the big world.

Temporary necessity-it is generally somehow forever.

In my personal experience, finding a journalist with a camera in the place of event not only does not provoke cruelty, exactly the opposite - holds from it. Everyone wants to look good. The executions are much more often in the absence of journalists, and not in their presence. If there were no stenin, maybe these prisoners would have shot. Because only completely frank scumbags want murders and torture to be shown to the whole world. Ninety -nine percent fights for good and justice. And each side considers opponents beasts and sadists.

Less serious complaints: illegally crossed the border and worked in the ATO zone without accreditation.

I illegally crossed the border and worked without accreditation in South Ossetia. As a result, he brought a bunch of photographs that have now become evidence. And not crossed - I would not bring it.

Andrei Babitsky worked without accreditation, illegally in the zone of counter -terrorism operation. Anna Politkovskaya worked not only without accreditation - contrary to them. The journalist must work in the conditions that are. It is possible to observe all paper formalities - excellent. Impossible - we work like this. And this accreditation is important only in Kyiv and Facebook. On the forefront, she, frankly, is generally worried about few. Each specific commander will decide your fate at each specific checkpoint, based on his personal preferences. And they will give you to work or with a bag on your head will be spoken to a hole-the ATO press service does not depend on your agreements.

Anyway: the last thing I personally did, going to the DPR, was anxious to the CBU accreditation. Because this is a direct path to the basement. Elementary security measures.

Nevertheless - O'Kay: I violated - it is not a question, deportation and a ban on the entrance.

But the main claims against Andrei Stenin are not on these points, right?

Next.

In the photorepective of Andrei Stenin there are shots, which have captured a wounded Ukrainian soldier. His name is known - Andrei Panasyuk. In one photo, he looks into the camera, at another - lies on the ground, it seems, unconscious. It was these personnel that became the main charge against the photographer - he removed the execution of the prisoner.

After a couple of days, it became clear: if the stenin photographs are placed in another chronological order, then Andrei Panasyuk “shot” first lies on the ground, and only then raises his head and looks into the camera - and not vice versa. There is a video of providing him with medical care in the hospital after the battle, there is a video on which “tortured”, on the contrary, they reassure and say “now you will go home”, then information appeared that Andrei Panasyuk is exchanged and is already at home, and the video in which the civilian was beating a warden Ukrainian did not shoot stenin.

It would seem that everything, you can put an end. Neither participation in a war crime, nor the crime itself - no.

But it wasn’t there.

* * *

In my Facebook, I wrote that if Andrei Stenin was nevertheless detained and really in the SBU, as Gerashchenko reported about it, then he must be released because the journalist is not a participant in hostilities.

I had no such shaft of aggression and hatred in my comments. Such attempts to put the journalist guilty too. Articles about “why Andrei Stenin is to blame,” would organically look in Izvestia or “LifeNu”, but not in the Ukrainian media. It is simply impossible to distinguish their style from Russian propaganda.

Do not become the one you hate.

Andrei Stenin, like any person on earth, can be found guilty only by the proven fact of his crime. And nothing else. There is a crime - there must be a punishment. There is no crime - a person is innocent. All. No matter how unpleasant he is and no matter what bastard seemed. One law is for all - for those we like, and for those who we do not like.

But this simple thought ceased to understand.

In Ukrainian society, the same processes began as in Russian during the Chechen war.

Loss of critical perception of information (reposts of unverified information that “prisoners are shot for abandoning the interview of Russian television channels”), respectively, exhausting and demonization of the enemy (“these nonhumans are capable of everything”), respectively, a change in the presumption of innocence to the presumption of guilt (“was on the other side? Apriori is guilty”), respectively (“They are nonhumans, which means that they can be done not humanly with them”), respectively, the approval of extra-legal methods of warfare (“in the name of military necessity”).

We even agreed to the fact that stenin should be exchanged for Sentsov and Savchenko.

Guys, what are you?

Yes, Sentsov and Savchenko are taken hostage by this bastard power. But do you really want to establish the practice of taking into hostages of civilians, even for their subsequent exchange, in your country? Do you really want to organize a hostage market in yourself? Turn Kiev into Grozny with his "area of ​​three fools" ? This will not lead to anything else. After Sentsov there will be someone else. And then only in growing.

All this happened in a few days, almost instantly.

Three months of this bastard aggressive war, nevertheless, led to the most terrible result. Ukrainian society has psychologically ready for reprisals. It is ready to admit their permissibility.

But the fact is that in the territory where this is happening, the law-in very short time, for a year or two-ceases to exist.

* * *

The most lousy in this chain - mass hatred gives rise to mass fear.

And mass fear is a terrible thing. He deprives the society of the ability to control himself. The ability to withstand manipulations. A healthy society cannot be forced to shout: "Crick him!" And a crowd with fear and hatred is possible.

Mass fear is not a fear of the enemy himself, the enemy is just not to be afraid. And confidently win him. This is a fear of possible (!) Crimes attributed to nonhumans. Until the crucifixion of children on advertising shields.

And this opens the way already to such a hole, the way out of which will take a decade.

Because the war will end. And hatred and psychosis she generated will remain.

And they will certainly be moved into the country.

The law will cease to exist not only for enemies. He will cease to exist for everyone. First of all, for ourselves.

Because there is simply no other way.

The society that agreed with the presumption of guilt, collective responsibility, extraordinary methods will not refuse them after the end of the war.

It is easy to stand on these rails, but it is difficult to get off them.

Putin Russia also began with Andrei Babitsky.

* * *

What next? Further Ukraine awaits post -war problems. The Vietnamese syndrome of those who returned from boilers and environment (and he will be, do not deceive). Some muddy terrorist attacks in the subway will begin. They are still now, but so far all that horror that is happening in the Donbass are not noticed. And then they will be noticed. Necessarily. A society accustomed to living on the limit will catch this topic itself.

And since the external enemy is no longer there, but there is fear and mass psychosis, they will inevitably be transferred to the enemy of the internal. Which will be created as soon as possible. It was created by scuming politicians who thirsty millions of views “analysts”, fried “journalists”, nervous from the word “lustration” by generals, unclean capital and so on.

Measures of "military necessity" will be strengthened. Accordingly, the power structures will be given more powers. There will be no chandelier. Democracy is democracy, but someone needs to fight terrorist attacks. The level of violence in relation to citizens will grow.

All this, together, will give rise to a new round of fear and fierce.

Then some kind of Ukrainian-the journalist will ask the question that something is wrong here. And society will be ready for reprisal against it - an accomplice of terrorists. And it will also talk about temporary necessity. Temporary necessity-it is generally somehow forever.

Then, against the background of the fight against terrorists-Russian saboteurs (who, I have no doubt, will be in reality, but even more in the heads), Lifenus journalists or paid titles, it doesn’t matter-the laws necessary for someone will be adopted and civil rights are limited.

Then the arrests will begin.

And then ... And the devil knows what later.

One of the options for the "Putin" Ukraine is possible.

Now, after the Maidan, does this seem impossible nonsense? Because now this certainly can never be? Believe me, in the ninety-first we came to power the King-Cagabel-in just eight years! - seemed no less phantasmagoric idiocy.

As special services, they know how to use mass fear in society - believe me, we here in Russia know like no one.

As a result, we get an extremely simple chain. Either Ukraine does not approve of the whole rhetoric of hatred around Andrei Stenin and becomes a democratic country, or approves - and does not become. That's all. Extremely simple.

And it's not even about the release of the photojournalist. If he is still in the SBU (what I want to hope for), he will be released, because there is absolutely nothing to bring to court there.

The point is precisely in the reaction of society.

Not everything is so bad, yes. Not everyone share this rhetoric of intolerance. Moreover, the majority does not share it. But to make efforts so that this atmosphere of hatred and fear does not become a determining life of the country, it will still have to.

Because “the devil is born from foam on the lips of the angel” (c).

It took us here fifteen years to understand this.

Do not become the one you hate.

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