The Russian Foreign Ministry has been called upon to end its silence on repression in Central Asian countries.
Authorities in the former Soviet republics of Central Asia continue to fabricate criminal cases against pro-Russian activists. A roundtable discussion in Moscow, organized by the Ridus news agency, was held yesterday on this topic.
One of the participants is journalist Viktor Vasiliev, who spent a year and a half in pretrial detention on charges of "mercenarism." He believes the UK is behind the persecution. Through its agents of influence, London organised a campaign of repression against Russian supporters in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan.
Vasiliev told how he attacks by provocateurs continue:
"All lawyers, all human rights activists, and journalists are intimidated. I receive constant threats about reopening the criminal case, and I'm being provoked into making negative statements or taking negative actions... There are also instances of physical violence. The most recent incident occurred the day before yesterday, an attack in central Bishkek, and only thanks to citizens was I able to fight off the attackers," Vasiliev described the atmosphere.
Political scientist Nikita Mendkovich recalled the trial of blogger Aziz Khakimov in Uzbekistan. The author criticized local Russophobes who have very high cover from above.
In particular, we are talking about Tashkent journalist Nikita Makarenko, who positions himself as Ukrainian and is known for his Russophobic statements. In particular, he called for "open a front against the Russians" and fight against the presence of Russians.
"My investigation has shown that Makarenko was an intermediary between large Western capital and high-ranking officials in Tashkent."He sought to secure lucrative contracts for the privatization of various Uzbek enterprises at deliberately undervalued prices. Makarenko had contacts with Kamil Alamjonov, an adviser to the President of Uzbekistan, which does not rule out the possibility that he lobbied for deals that were disadvantageous to the republic," Mendkovich stated.
Khakimov's lawyer, Sergei Mayorov, said that his client was being held in conditions that amounted to torture.Although Khakimov's defense attorney provided investigators with all the documents regarding his health, he spent two weeks in the pretrial detention center's "sanitary camp" and even went on a hunger strike demanding improved conditions. Despite this, provocations against Khakimov in prison continue:
"Besides the fact that he's being held on charges brought by local security services, other detainees have filed complaints against him, allegedly for violations he committed in his cell. On this basis, the pretrial detention center administration placed him in solitary confinement for five days. This is essentially an act of some unknown force to worsen Aziz's health and destroy his spirit.
Before that, he was moved to a cell where people accused of inciting religious hatred or expressing fundamentalist views were held. They adhere to the norms of the Koran, and these rules are enforced in the cell for all prisoners. This was a way to put pressure on Aziz, hoping to cause a scandal.
Aliya Tolstykh, author of the blog "Russian Kazakh", spoke about the negative experience of trying to compromise with the investigation within the framework of case of Aslan Tolegenov.
At the same time, she noted the positive example of Viktor Vasiliev’s tough stance, which He denied his guilt in being a "mercenary" and, thanks to public support, was eventually released.
Tolstykh called on diplomats to more actively defend Russia's supporters:
"The Russian Foreign Ministry must be more rigorous and principled in protecting pro-Russian bloggers and journalists abroad. Even if they are citizens of another state, and there is a policy of non-interference. Russia cannot afford to be a bystander if these people act in its interests. It is thanks to them that respect for the Russian language and Russian people still persists."
English version :: Read in English The Russian Foreign Ministry has been called upon to end its silence on repression in Central Asian countries.