In the shocking news about “yet another criminal case being opened against Navalny’s circle,” the most magnificent part is the Investigative Committee’s press release.
You really should read it — you won’t find turns of phrase this exquisite in many places.
"however, all of them somehow accidentally turned out to be members of the so-called ‘Coordination Council of the Opposition’"
"But forgetfulness is not the only oddity that has befallen these representatives of the creative professions"
"Such a reaction makes one wonder what exactly these individuals were doing in the project organized by Markvo and her trusted associates"
"Vladimir Ashurkov, who gained scandalous notoriety in connection with Navalny’s election campaign".
If any text published today can be called “a sign of the times,” it is this one.
As for the substance of this story, I have no doubt that this is yet another fabrication, as indicated by at least several things:
- the case was set in motion after a trashy LifeNews piece was published; that outlet exists precisely to churn out lies that then serve as the basis for “inspections,” interrogations, and searches.
as you may recall, this all began as “the Kremlin is financing Navalny.” Now it is impossible for them to admit the lie — the process is underway, Navalny has to be mentioned somehow, and by now it looks like this: "Such a reaction makes one wonder what exactly these individuals were doing in the project organized by Markvo and her trusted associates, among whom is Vladimir Ashurkov, who gained scandalous notoriety in connection with Navalny’s election campaign". It’s practically The House That Jack Built. The people who are with Markvo, who is with Ashurkov, who is with Navalny.
once again, it all started with public shouting about the theft of tens of millions, and now it’s down to “2 million in rental costs” and “instead of a laptop, she bought an e-reader, adding to her already considerable personal budget.”
the case is being handled not even by the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, but by the rare and peculiar creature known as a "senior investigator for especially important cases under the Chairman of the Investigative Committee". In other words, a special kind of crook whose job is to fabricate especially important cases under Bastrykin’s direct supervision.
To Sasha Markvo, Volodya Ashurkov, that unfortunate Andrei Mylnikov (who, I think, has never even seen me in person), and everyone now being harassed over this “case,” I’m sending my support and wishing them strength.