So, just now this hellish screech starts up in the apartment — that’s the ringtone of the FSIN “special phone” (FSIN is Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service) they install for people under house arrest. The woman on the line says: "Alexei Anatolyevich, be ready at 2 p.m.; we’re taking you to Babushkinsky Court." I tell her it’s the first time I’ve ever heard of such a court and I’m not going anywhere. She sighs and says she doesn’t know anything herself, just that "a request came in, so we’ll take you." We get in touch with the lawyers; they don’t know anything either, but after a while they find out that a new criminal case has been opened against me. Apparently for either insults or defamation. The complainant is some guy named Lisovenko. It’s a private prosecution case, so it will be heard by a magistrate judge.
Who is this Lisovenko? I ask them to look him up online — maybe he’s googleable? Lisovenko turns up right away. He’s a municipal deputy from United Russia. Head of the municipal council of the Babushkinsky District.
The very same one who proposed banning social networks in Russia.
The criminal case was opened over this tweet:
https://twitter.com/navalny/status/441141685834117121
In court, the United Russia deputy brought a certificate stating that he is not a drug addict. This is not a joke:
https://twitter.com/deputat_LIS/status/454148331867238400
Just like in The Big Bang Theory: - You’re crazy! - No, my mom had me tested when I was a kid.
What’s especially curious is that Deputy Lisovenko — a big, pudgy man — signs his posts, "Sincerely yours, Fox."
And, you have to admit, no certificate can really outweigh that. In fact, the certificate he needs would have to come from a different clinic — not a narcology one.
Well then, off I go to Babushkinsky Court. I didn’t yet have this kind of criminal case in my rich collection — time to add one more.