"Proekt": Putin's assistant and former head of the Karelian FSB Anatoly Seryshev is behind the persecution of historian Yuri Dmitriev

The persecution of Karelian historian Yuri Dmitriev was supervised by the Russian President's aide, former head of the FSB of Karelia Anatoly Seryshev. This is reported by the publication " Proekt " with reference to sources.

The case of Yuri Dmitriev

In December 2016, Yuri Dmitriev was accused of producing pornography involving his underage adopted daughter and indecent acts towards her, as well as illegal possession of weapons. In April 2018, the court acquitted Dmitriev on two charges, sentencing him to two and a half years of restricted freedom under the article on weapons possession, but the Supreme Court of Karelia overturned this sentence.

In June 2018, it became known that another case had been opened against Dmitriev - for violent sexual acts against the same girl. According to it, the historian received 3.5 years in a maximum security penal colony, which was later increased to 13 years in a penal colony. On February 16, the cassation court upheld the sentence.

As journalists suggested, the persecution may be connected with the publication by Memorial in 2016 of a list of NKVD personnel. After this publication, Dmitriev began to receive threats – although he himself was not directly involved in compiling the list.

The list included Vasily Mikhailovich Seryshev, who participated in Stalin's repressions and was later arrested for "participation in mass unjustified arrests" (he was not later rehabilitated). Journalists suggest that he could have been one of the relatives of the presidential aide.

All the twists and turns around the "Dmitriev case" coincide exactly with Seryshev's career moves. The persecution of the historian began while he was heading the Karelian FSB. As soon as Seryshev was transferred from the FSB to customs, there was a pause in the case. But then the former general became Putin's assistant, including overseeing the appointment of judges. And everything started all over again.

• In 1997, Dmitriev discovered mass graves of repressed citizens of the USSR in the Sandarmokh forest tract. He also compiled lists of repressed residents of Karelia in memory. Memorial considers his case to be political.
• Nobel laureates, Russian cultural figures, and foreign scientists wrote letters in support of Dmitriev.