Ksenia Kirillova: Without guarantees

The Moscow police check the members of the Prochrevsky radical movement of SERB after the attack on the opposition politician Alexei Navalny . The audit began after the supporters of Navalny from the video from the surveillance cameras identified the attackers as members of the radical group of SERB Alexander Petrunko and Alexei Kulakov, and published their conclusions.

At the same time, Navalny himself suspects: in fact, the investigation will not be carried out, because in the event of an arrest, the perpetrators “will testify that they are innocent, and the“ curator from the AP ”was brought to the face from the glass, and they were given the“ curator from the FSB ”. However, even in this case, I would not advise radicals to count on impunity: cases are found every year. “Surrender” to the Russian special services enough to convince the executors they have substituted not to call genuine customers of the crime - both with the help of “tempting proposals” and the method of frank threats.

Probably, most people participating in the unseemly acts of the Kremlin (whether it be militaristic propaganda, petty hooliganism, persecution of opposition or even war crimes), are sure that the loyalty of power is a kind of shield for them, guaranteeing impunity and a special, privileged status. However, life testifies to the opposite: the Russian authorities easily sacrifice their faithful servants, moreover, often for the sake of momentary propaganda goals.

In April, we watched a rather funny story. Russian propagandists accused the American Louis Marinelli of being an agent of the CIA. Living in the United States, Marinelli headed the movement for the exit of California from the United States, as he himself stated, "according to the Crimean scenario." He participated in the Moscow "separatist" forum "of the dialogue of venues. The right of peoples to self -determination and construction of a multipolar world" and swore the fidelity of Russia. Last year, Marinelli admitted that for some time he has been living in Yekaterinburg, since he considers Russia his "second home" and "cannot live under the American flag anymore." However, as soon as the American moved to a permanent place of residence to the Urals, the Russia-24 television channel showed the video , the “investigating” possible cooperation of Marinelli with the American intelligence services. The reason for suspicions gave the choice of the city of residence and the sleeping area - unattractive landscapes inevitably fall into the frame whenever the American "patriot of Russia" has the misfortune to give interviews.

The information campaign against Marinelli can be explained both by Russian paranoia and - which in this case is more likely to refute rumors about the connections of the American separatist with the Kremlin. Be that as it may, the situation when at first a person is invited to the prestigious Kremlin forum, and six months later they are publicly disgraced throughout the country, it is ordinary for Russia: in recent years, Moscow is ready to sacrifice many for propaganda purposes.

A month before these events, the Novomoskovsky District Court of the Tula region recognized the former State Duma deputy from United Russia and the former head of the youth pro -Kremlin movement, Maxim Mishchenko, guilty of fraud with budgetary funds: together with the accomplice, he received and appropriated money for a conference that did not take place. As a result, United Russia, Mishchenko, who for many years branded the liberal opposition, went to bars.

“I was sure to the last that the court would figure out this fabricated case and justify Maxim. But this did not happen, moreover, the court decided on a more severe punishment than the prosecutor’s office asked! It hurts and disappointed ... because they became a situation when they condemned and sentenced to a real time not a criminal, not a traitor to the motherland, but an honest and decent person who devotedly served his country!” - the wife of convicted Julia wrote indignantly in social networks. “The homeland will abandon you, son. Always,” commented Journalist Arkady Babchenko. “And, yes. They always throw their (small ones). Always,” another commentator Andrei Wave echoes him.

It is possible that SERB activists will soon have to taste the special Kremlin "gratitude"

However, public shelter and even criminal cases are not the only thing that the Kremlin’s supporters can wait if the leadership priorities are changing. Recall the mysterious death of one of the main creators of the Putin propaganda machine Mikhail Lesin. Suddenly (according to the official version, from a heart attack), the chief of Russian military intelligence, Igor Sergun, who led the operation for the annexation of Crimea and entered for this in the Western sanctions lists, died. Shortly before the death of Sergun, “another participant in the annexation, who headed the operation to seize the peninsula,-deputy chief of staff of the Russian Airborne Forces, Major General Alexander Shushukin, died.

And here is another list of “suspicious deaths” associated with another Russian “special operation” - with the infamous “urine substitution”. Suddenly, the former executive director of the Russian anti -doping agency Nikita Kamaev, who shortly before his death, informed reporters about the intention to publish secret information about the use of doping in Russian sports since 1987. The cause of death was formally declared "heart attack". Less than two weeks before, the former chairman of the executive council of Rusad Vyacheslav Sinev died.

In Donetsk, one of the leaders of the Donbass militants Arseniy Pavlov (Motorola) was blown up in the elevator of his own house. Another field commander, Alexei Tolstoy (Givi), was killed by a shot from a grenade launcher in his own office, prominent separatists Pavel Dremov, Alexander Bednov were eliminated. According to one version, Motorola eliminated their own - by order from Moscow, in connection with its uncontrollability.

We can conclude: neither a devoted adherence to Kremlin ideology, nor unconditional execution of orders guarantees immunity. Moscow does not believe in tears, sometimes dealing with its servants no less mercilessly than with enemies. It is possible that SERB activists will also soon have to taste the special Kremlin "gratitude."

Ksenia Kirillova - a journalist, a former correspondent of Novaya Gazeta (Yekaterinburg), lives in the United States

Opinions expressed under the section may not reflect the point of view of the editorial office