NYC Letter: Comrade Putin And His Critics Redux

One has to marvel at the artlessness of Russian thuggery. Of course an effort is made to lie, but the lie is perfunctory. Not much imagination goes into it because Russia does not want you to believe the lie.

For example if the state murders an uncooperative journalist, Russia issues a statement that it was an act of random violence, an accident, a suicide, the hand of God. The lie allows Russia to formally deny its criminality. It hides behind the lie but doesn't expect anyone to believe it. If it were true that would mean the state bungled, but the state is quite expert in these matters.

To believe the lie is to think the state something other than sinister and opportuning. But the Russian state is sinister and opportuning, which is pretty much the point. [Pause.] Russia asks that you not miss the point.

There are, of course, those for whom Russia's lies are God's truth, and Russia rewards their complicity.

MAGOMED YAKHYАVICH YEVLOYEV*
1971 – 31 August 2008
Killed By Misadventure Coincident With His Opinions

KREMLIN CRITIC SHOT IN INGUSHETIA

August 31, 2008 (BBC) - The owner of an internet site [Ингушетия.Ru/Ingushetiya.Ru] critical of the Russian authorities in the volatile region of Ingushetia has been shot dead in police custody.

A post on Yevloyev's site says he was detained by police after landing at the airport of the main town, Nazran.

Reports quoting local police said Yevloyev had tried to seize a policeman's gun when he was being led to a vehicle. A shot was fired and Yevloyev was injured in the head. The website owner was taken to hospital but died from his injuries.

The Russian prosecutor's office said an investigation into the death had been launched, Russia media report.

Mr. Yevloyev, a knowledgeable judge of Kremlin detentions, no doubt saw his best chance as shooting his way out of a police car and across Russia to his paymasters in America. [Pause.] What?**

Europa pulled out its stage hanky for Mr. Yevloyev.

PACE RAPPORTEUR ON MEDIA FREEDOM DEPLORES THE DEATH
OF PROMINENT INGUSH OPPOSITION JOURNALIST IN RUSSIA

STRASBOURG September 2, 2008 (PACE) - Andrew McIntosh (United Kingdom, SOC), rapporteur on media freedom and Chair of the Sub-Committee on the Media of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), has strongly deplored the death of the prominent opposition journalist Magomed Yevloyev on 31 August 2008 in Nazran, the capital of the Republic of Ingushetia in the northern Caucasus of the Russian Federation:

I call on the local and federal judiciary to fully investigate the circumstances of his death and inform the public adequately. ... In its Resolution 1535 (2007) on threats to the lives and freedom of expression of journalists, the Assembly called on member states to properly investigate recent murders of journalists, including the murder of Anna Politkovskaya in Russia, and ensure the safety of journalists. The death of Magomed Yevloyev shows that things have not improved and this requires urgent action by member states to protect journalists and media freedom as necessary in a democratic society.

Urgent action like what? More press releases? More hand-wringing? More spaghetti-punch diplomacy? Russia has taken note and hastens to moderate itself accordingly.

RUSSIAN POLICE BREAK UP PROTEST IN INGUSHETIA

September 2, 2008 (VOA) - Russian police in the southern republic of Ingushetia used batons to break up a protest Tuesday against the fatal shooting of opposition journalist Magomed Yevloyev while in police custody. Police dispersed hundreds of activists who spent the night in the central square of the town of Nazran.

And this.

TV REPORTER KILLED, EDITOR BEATEN IN RUSSIA

September 4, 2008 (WSJ) - In the Russian province of Dagestan, television journalist Telman Alishaev died Wednesday morning after he was shot in the head by two men while he sat in his car in the regional capital of Makhachkala on Tuesday night.

Separately, in the North Caucasus city of Nalchik, a newspaper editor was severely beaten outside of his home by three men Tuesday night. The editor, Miloslav Bitokov, was hospitalized with a skull fracture. Colleagues at his newspaper, Gazeta Yuga, said he had been threatened for publishing articles critical of local authorities.

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* Russia's apologists have been busy. Have a gander at Mr. Yevloyev's German Wiki entry for the unanswerable excuse for everything in Europa (screenshot record here).

It goes without saying that Mr. Yevloyev was also "accidently" dumped on the road.