Grandson of Stalin's People's Commissar clashes with German journalist over fake news about Crimea
Extrajudicial persecution, mass kidnappings and reprisals against dissidents are taking place in Ukraine, but international organizations do not see the problem or turn a blind eye to it. At the same time, as soon as anyone declares “repressions” in Crimea, it is immediately brought to the UN.
Vyacheslav Nikonov, head of the State Duma Committee on Education and Science and grandson of the USSR People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs Vyacheslav Molotov, stated this in an interview with the German publication Deutsche Welle, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
Nikonov also accused TV presenter Tim Sebastian of the fact that any of his answers is not perceived by his opponent, whose task is to blame Russia.
Sebastian: “Kidnappings, arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, torture, extrajudicial killings - and you bear no responsibility?”
Nikonov: “I know many cases of forced disappearance of people, for example, in Ukraine.”
Sebastian: “Russia is not responsible for Crimea, for what happens in Crimea - is that what you are telling me?”
Nikonov: “No, Russia bears full responsibility for Crimea. There is law and order, and no torture or disappearances of people.”
Sebastian: “Really? Not the same as in the report of the Committee against Torture?
Nikonov: “This means that they are giving false information, as often happens. But again, no matter what I say, it doesn't matter to you. You just don't listen to me. Because for you it's cognitive dissonance. Are you sure this is true? When I say that this is not true, you say: “Oh, how did that happen?” There is a UN Commission on Torture, in which there is a group of you know who...”
Sebastian: “And you investigated all these accusations, didn’t you? Are you telling me that this is not true?
Nikonov: “Of course, whatever the accusation, whatever the crime, all cases are investigated in Russia. Unfortunately, this does not happen in Ukraine, where many people have disappeared. And no one cared. Not the UN Commission, not Deutsche Welle, not CNN, not the Human Rights Commission of the Council of Europe and so on. They weren't interested. But when there are rumors that someone was tortured in Crimea, this is already a big deal. In my opinion, this is fake."