EDITORIAL
Another Russian crucified for Patriotism
Just like the Soviet Union before it, Russia has a barbaric practice of crucifying its patriots. When Anna Politkovskaya and Natalia Estemirova tried to expose corruption and torture in Chechnya, they were murdered. This practice dates far back into Russian history when the likes of Pushkin and Solzhenitsyn were similarly persecuted for trying to keep their country from falling into the abyss.
And now it’s happened again.
When police officer Alexei Dymovksy (pictured above) found himself unable to resolve massive corruption by working with his superior, he posted a YouTube video and made a direct appeal to Vladimir Putin. The result was predictable: As its own little gift to the world in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Dymovsky was immediately fired. This is a man who risks his life on a daily basis for a couple of hundred dollars in monthly wages, perhaps earning $2.50/hour if he is lucky, and who is reaching out in desperation to curtail a practice of corruption which is documented by international surveys, such as those from Transparency International, as being among the very worst on the planet. Putin ought to pin a medal on this man and make him a cabinet minster.
Instead, he’s fired.
Of course, Dymovsky should consider himself lucky. In the time of Stalin, a time it seems that proud KGB spy Vladimir Putin greatly admires, Dymovsky would have been shot and his family sent to a concentration camp. But we can’t help wondering how long patriots like Dymovsky have to enjoy the freedom from such atrocities. After all, Politkovskaya and Estemirova have already fallen victim to it. And Dymovsky, the Moscow Times reports, already fears for his life and that of his family.
If you think Dymovsky’s neighbors will stand up for him, since they are the direct beneficiaries of his courage, think again. In the time of Stalin, Russians did not hesitate to rat out their neighbors in exchange for reaping benefits for themselves, and nothing important has changed in Russia since then.
No country can survive intentionally thrusting its most patriotic citizens into a meat grinder. The USSR did not survive Stalin doing it, and Russia will not survive Putin doing the same.
The poor naive fellow believed in the old Russian myth of The Good Tsar and His Bad Ministers (aka “if only Stalin knew about it”).
Btw, this is what happens when a Russian civilian is angry on the Internet over the police corruption:
http://www.theotherrussia.org/2008/07/07/russian-blogger-sentenced-over-livejournal-comment/
Kavkazsky Uzel quoted Chechen human rights activists as casting doubt on the official claims that 35 rebels were killed in special operations last month. “I do not believe that all of those people killed on the territory of our republic in October were members of armed formations,” an anonymous Chechen rights activist told the website. “And I have every reason [for such doubts]. There are many examples of siloviki passing off as members of the armed resistance young people who had absolutely nothing to do with it,” he added. The source cited several cases, including that of Artur Duzgaev, the 21-year-old killed by police in Grozny on November 5, saying that he had been kidnapped by security forces just days after returning to the Chechen capital from Baku and three days before he was killed. “And after that his body was dumped in Grozny and it was announced that he had put up armed resistance, that he had a pistol and wanted to link up with the militants,” the source said (www.kavkaz-uzel.ru, November 10). Kavkazsky Uzel reported yesterday that Duzgaev was a wrestler who recently won a championship in Azerbaijan (www.kavkaz-uzel.ru, November 9).
(I’m writing this because the so-called Chechen policemen are now receiving cars and money in rewards for every “bandit” they kill.)
http://www.gazeta.ru/news/lastnews/2009/11/11/n_1423668.shtml
The “Jamaat Shariat” killed one pro-russian dagestani policeman and killed another one in Khasavyurt this evening! They fired a police post from a car! Allah Akbar! KILL THE COPS!!! (In Dagestan Cops are criminal murderers and torturers)
This major Dymovksi should join the “Jamaat Shariat” and come to Dagestan. Here he can fight his former criminal police-comrades and can take revenge! Accept Islam and join the “Jamaat Shariat”,Mister!!! Otherwise your former comrades or the FSB will kill you in some kind of staged “accident” soon!
I quote Anna Politkovskaya:
“Those who are not needed any longer in Russia are being liquidated! They cannot simply retire for a calm life! They have to die!!!”
Here is the russian version of part 2. I could not find a translation into English.
According to an RFE/RL article, some drone at the Interior Ministry said that a days-long investigation would be conducted into Major Dymovsky’s allegations. TWO HOURS later, the same spokesman announced that the investigation was over, everything was perfect, and this troublemaker was being charged with slandering Russia’s national honor or some such bizarre-ass thing.
It’s like a Monty Python sketch brought to life.
But I guess he’s in Moscow now, despite a suitably surreal list of obstacles thrown in his way:
http://www.rferl.org/content/feature/1874494.html
Good luck, Major. As we say in America, you have big brass ones. Like, St. Basil’s Cathedral-sized.
I wonder how long it will be before this extremely brave man suffers a “mysterious” accident.
May God bless and protect you Major Dymovsky, and your family too.
Your country needs all the people like you it can get.
Regarding what “phonecall to Putin” means in Russian police and what the Russian (Novgorod) cops can do even to a fellow (completely innocent) police officer:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikheyev_v._Russia
I saw this linked on another site. Poor, brave fool. I hope he comes out of this ok.
Meanwhile the “democrat” Medvedev threatens Russian opposition leaders.
“Dmitry Medvedev warns anti-Kremlin parties in Russia
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned anti-Kremlin opposition politicians against adopting radical tactics, promising he would head off any attempts to undermine the de facto one party system set up by Vladimir Putin.
By Andrew Osborn in Moscow
Published: 4:50PM GMT 12 Nov 2009
Giving his annual state of the nation address, Mr Medvedev conceded that the existing political system was deeply flawed and outlined modest reforms aimed at making it harder for the ruling United Russia party to rig elections at a local level.
But he made it clear that the pace of political reform would be gradual and told Kremlin opponents to play by the existing rules or face the full force of the law.
“Any attempts to rock the situation with democratic slogans, to destabilise the state and split society will be stopped,” he said.
“Strengthening democracy does not mean relaxing law and order. There is one law for everyone. I hope that everyone in this hall understands this,” he added.
His comments come after critics slammed recent local elections across the world’s largest country as a farce. Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet president, launched a scathing critique of the political system in their wake and even Kremlin-friendly opposition parties said the scale of fraud was over the top.
MPs from the three nominal opposition parties in the Duma, the lower house of parliament, staged a walkout in protest. Perhaps the only genuine opposition party among them – the Communists – have since vowed further walkouts and disruption.
Mr Medvedev’s comments appeared to be a warning that he would only tolerate so much genuine opposition.
He claimed a real multiparty system already existed, while admitting there were serious problems.
“People are registering problems in the organisation of elections, a low political culture, and a lack of deeply thought through alternative proposals,” he said.
Mr Putin, his predecessor and the current prime minister, sat directly opposite him in the front row of the audience in one of the Kremlin’s most imposing halls. If he was enthused by Mr Medvedev’s words he did not show it.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/6553512/Dmitry-Medvedev-warns-anti-Kremlin-parties-in-Russia.html
Wow, better be careful, it seems that Medvedev is not even ready for those incredibly dangerous democratic slogans!!
Anyone who expects democratic or legal progress from Medvedev is a moron.
http://www.kavkazcenter.com/russ/content/2009/11/13/69117.shtml
This morning the “Jamaat Shariat” killed two dagestani women who workd as agents for the pro-russian traitor-police!!!! Allah Akbar,all traitors pay for their treachery
Yeah, “kadyrov-fan”, so they killed 2 women. Or precisely, a presumably unarmed woman and her daughter who came to visit a grave at a cemetery. How incredibly awesome.
Russian policemen complain on YouTube
MOSCOW (AP) — Two former Russian policemen and a former prosecutor are speaking out about abuse, corruption and trumped-up charges in YouTube postings.
Their claims follow two videos by a police major who complained about corruption in the force and was fired after the videos were viewed by some 700, 000 people.
In separate clips posted Nov. 11, former prosecutor Grigory Chekalin and former police Maj. Mikhail Yevseyev claimed two innocent men were sentenced to life in prison for a 2005 arson in the city of Ukhta.
Yevseyev also alleged Ukhta policemen filed charges against businessmen “commissioned” by their rivals.
In another YouTube plea posted Wednesday, traffic policemen Vadim Smirnov claimed he was forced to resign after joining a trade union.
http://www.kyivpost.com/news/russia/detail/52725/
On the “out of control” (of the local president) security forces in Ingushetia:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/11/AR2009111127421.html
He said he will continue “doing things completely differently” from his predecessor, who employed harsh security measures and was fired by Medvedev after a public outcry over the killing of a prominent opposition figure.
After the slaying of another opposition leader, Maksharip Aushev, last month, though, critics are asking whether Yevkurov has the clout to stand up to the security structures, which even he has acknowledged may have been involved.
“The situation isn’t getting any better. In fact, it’s getting worse,” said Magomed Mutsolgov, director of the human rights group Mashr, which assists people whose relatives have been kidnapped or killed by the authorities. He said killings and abductions have continued, but he praised Yevkurov for meeting regularly with activists and allowing them to publish newspapers critical of the government.
“I can see he wants to change things,” Mutsolgov added. “Unfortunately, he doesn’t have full control over the security forces, because they report to federal structures, to Moscow.” Some also answer to Kadyrov, whose Chechen units are increasingly active in Ingushetia, he said.
Yevkurov has gone out of his way to meet with families whose loved ones have disappeared, but many have given up on him. “I’ve met with him four times and spoken on the phone with him twice. He’s always warm, but there have been zero results,” said Ilyas Malsagov, 38, whose brother, an architect and devout Muslim, was seized by uniformed men wearing masks in December and has not been seen since.
Musa Pliyev, an aide to Yevkurov who resigned after Aushev’s death, said the governor is surrounded by corrupt officials trying to sabotage him. Aushev was among many who urged him to begin cleaning house by firing the province’s top prosecutor, judge and security officials.
Most of the Russian police support video treatment of major. Good luck to him and his followers.
This one has English sub-titles.