Dadin, along with Magnitsky, Crimea, Donbass,"Boeing", Savchenko - straws not to be forgotten

Ildar Dadin was sentenced in December 2015, under Article 212.1 (for repeated participation in the opposition protests) to three years in a penal colony. His sentence was later reduced to two and a half years.

Nearly a year later, on November 1, 2016, a letter of Dadin was published, in which he claims that 12 people were beating him in the colony and hung him by his shackled hands behind his back, while the chief of the colony threatened him with rape and death. In the letter he describes:

“Over the course of that day, I was beaten a total four times, by 10-12 people at once...After the third beating, they lowered my head into a toilet right there in the holding cell.”He goes on to describe being cuffed and hung from the ceiling. “Being suspended in this manner brought about terrible pain in the wrists twisted out my elbows, and caused horrible back pain. I was suspended like that for half an hour.“Then they took off my underwear and said they would bring another prisoner to rape me unless I stopped my hunger strike.”The prison boss later allegedly told Dadin that if he complained his beatings could be made worse, and he could be killed and buried “under the fence”.

After his letter was published, unknown people sent messages in social networks to relatives and friends of Ildar Dadin telling that he was found hanged in his cell. After reading this message, Ildar Dadin's mother, who had a weak heart, was taken to hospital with suspected brain attack.

On the 24th of November, European Parament has adopted the resolution to release Mr. Dadin. 

Parliament calls on the Russian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Mr. Dadin and “all those detailed on false or unsubstantiated charges or for using their right to freedom of expression and assembly”.

Parliament also stresses the need for a thorough and transparent independent investigation after Mr. Dadin’s recent allegations of torture inside the prison. Russia is reminded by MEPs of the importance of its “full compliance” with its international legal obligations as per its membership of the Council of Europe and other such organizations.

History of Tsarist Russia, the USSR, and the Russian Federation knows many similar stories about activists, convicted by the government of the excessively high imprisonment, effected in inhuman conditions, often completed with the tragic death of a prisoner.

Several of these stories gained notoriety in the world, about some of the martyrs were created books and even movies. However the majority of dissidents didn't draw either the glory of international publicity or rehabilitation. They often stay in mass graves, together with other rebels against the big Russian Imperium, no matter under which political system they were active. 

Several times in the last month Russian media were calling to release two Russian prisoners, "illegally arrested" by the US and held there adjudged punishment - Victor Bout and Konstantin Yaroshenko. Viktor Bout - Russian "Lord of War" is the international arms dealer, sentenced by US court to 25 years imprisonment. Konstantin Yaroshenko is a Russian pilot, accused and convicted of drug trafficking to 20 years in prison. Russian press reports extensively about the drama of families of the two prisoners, about a sick mother of Yaroshenko and longing wife and children of Viktor Bout. Both the families and dealing with their story journalists, see hope in the new authorities of the White House.

So how the Russian media presents Dadin's case and his accusations against the prison administration. The regime logs provide "objective" information that according to the doctors, who examined Dadin, there is a lack of any signs of torture or ill-treatment, and that Dadin, as say representatives of the prison service has a huge imagination. The only newspaper that is considered in Russia as an independent "Novaya Gazieta" writes about "slipping on a banana peel" and Dadin's case as a second Magnitsky problem. In the article, they are advising the Russian government, to move Dadin to another criminal facility, otherwise once again will be loud about Russia: "Here, for example, will come to power Fillon and want to lift the sanctions against Russia, but as he does, when in his own parliament from all sides: Dadin, Magnitsky," Boeing "" Boeing ", Dadin, Magnitsky?" ...A straw and a straw, and you end up with a stack."

Regardless of the political system, in Russia, the single human being does not mean much. Sooner or later Mr. Dadin will join his better-known colleagues, Anna Politkovskaya, Boris Nemtsov, Siergiej Magnitsky,  Aleksiej Devotchenko, Natalia Estemirova, Aleksander Litvinenko. People responsible for those murders has never been arrested, judged and sentenced. That is how the tides of Russian history runs. 

Drawing by Danzig Baldaev

MEPs sound alarm on anti-EU propagand - why it is great, why it is now.

"The European Union is under increasing pressure propaganda practiced by the Russian government and the Islamist terrorist groups. Their goal is misinformation, engender a sense of danger and uncertainty and causing divisions in the EU." Members of the European Parliament have concluded these warnings in a resolution adopted on Wednesday, 23rd of November.
They advise strengthening of the EU office for strategic communications and dissemination of knowledge about the sensible use of Internet media. The author of the draft resolution is a Member of the European Parliament, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Poland - Mrs. Anna Fotyga. The adoption of this resolution caused, for obvious reasons, violent protests and accusations from the Kremlin saying that the resolution is a false representation of the Russian media. Representatives of the Russian authorities expressed their opposition for listing in the Russian media on par with Daesh propaganda and stressed the negative role of the straightening anti-Russian propaganda of the West.
It is extremely important but quite unexpected that European Parlament adopted this resolution. The text contains generally known facts, although the acceptance by the European Parliament a document that clearly shows the Russian propaganda and its sources, is surprising. It seemed that the illegal annexation of the Crimea and the occupation of eastern Ukraine are not big issues for EP anymore.
Therefore it can be assumed that the reason for the change in  Brussels' attitude could be the results of the presidential elections in the US. It is not clear yet, which of changes in foreign policy announced in the election campaign, will be realized by the administration of the new President Donald Trump. However, much more can be read from the signals that are coming from Moscow. Optimistic words flowing from the Kremlin about the" new opening" in relations with America combined with decisive moves in Moscow's Asian policy, must be a warning to European politicians.
Brussels noticed the danger of weakening the alliance with the United States and that is why it is uniting and representing the European Union as a strong, speaking with one voice block, defining a real threat of political propaganda. This is a clear signal for Moscow and the United States. The resolution, not without a reason, stresses that the objective of the Russian propaganda is an internal breakdown of the European Union as well as antagonize EU and USA.
It should emphasize the importance of the resolution in the context of the huge success of Polish diplomacy, as well as strengthen the role of the Baltic countries, skeptical of the Kremlin's policy. The adoption of this resolution shows, that pro -Russia block in EU, gathering countries like Greece, Hungary, and Italy, is not that strong, as Russian media would like to show it.
There is one more crucial element in this document, not explicitly stated in the text. In my opinion, the adoption of this document is the return to the most fundamental values of the European Union - to the respect of human rights, democracy, and freedom. Free, fair, objective media is one of the pillars of a free society. The resolution is a reminder to Europeans that access to objective information is a great value as well as the admonition to respect the eligibility to access to the objective media for the nations, which in the  21st century are deprived of this right.

First victim of Donald Trump's foreign policy

Donald Trump presidency is still a great unknown. We do not know the positions of the main cast, we do not know which of the election promises of the new President intends to implement. However, based on several short speeches of DT and simultaneously fast moves of Russia, you can definitely tell who will be the first victim of the change in US foreign policy: it's TOKYO.
Prime Minister Abe was the first head of state leads to a meeting with the President - elect, trying to keep a key for Japan's alliance with the United States. It didn't help. Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of the US from the TPP agreement. He also suggested the need for greater involvement of Japan in regional security issues. Russians do not waste time and place on the Kuril Islands anti-missile systems "Ball" and "Bastion". Placement of the new missile systems is a clear signal of the Russian Federation determined to preserve these areas for themselves. President Putin knows when to deal the final blow.
"America first" is the catchy and compelling watchword. However, the foreign policy of a great power, can not be based on the business strategy, "which now pays off." The post-war alliance with Japan was a key element in maintaining peace in the region. A loyal ally which for years was Japan gave the Americans an advantage over Russia and allowed to hold in check the other players in the region. Disassembly of long-term agenda in the region, where so unpredictable countries like China, Korea, and the Philippines are playing the power game, is at least unwise and short-sighted.Changing the balance in the region can directly lead to war.
The last argument, which apparently is not taken into consideration by new President - elect, is that American security guarantees for Japan (country till last year with pacifist constitution) is a matter of honor.

The role of the Orthodox Church in Russia - introduction

Fyodor Dostoyevsky is a famous Russian writer and intellectual known to the Western audience, as the author vibrantly filmed novels, such as The Brothers Karamazov, Crime and Punishment, White Nights. Probably they are now more popular than his political and religious views. Dostoyevsky was a deep believer in the Russian Orthodox Messianism, convinced of the need for the conquest of the world by the only legitimate religion and its chosen people. 

Dostoyevsky was based on the idea formulated by Philotheus of Pskov (b. Approx. 1450 d. 1525) Russian monk. Philotheus created the theory of the "Three Romes", according to which, after the fall of ancient Rome in 476 AD., and Constantinople in 1453., Moscow had become the center of the world - the "Third Rome". This concept became the official ideology of the Moscow tsars and the base for the expansionist policy of the Russian Empire. The Orthodox tradition was the bedrock of Dostoyevsky’s messianic visions of the future, so relevant today, in the face of Russian expansion.

The Russian Orthodox Church is the largest religious community in the Russian Federation, Belarus, and Ukraine. Eastern Christianity is an integral part of religious life in the years of history of the Russian state. In the fifteenth century Russia took on the role of protector of Orthodox Christianity and its rulers considered themselves as the heirs of the Byzantine civilization. The great Orthodox tradition is fundamental to understanding the religious and national identity of the Russians. According to the Byzantine tradition, Russians believed that the state is just as necessary for the salvation of the Church.

False Pretenses - about the Western sins

Starting this blog, I decided that it will be one hundred percent objective, will not be subject to any influence or momentary emotions. Therefore quite clear to me is, what the next post should be about. Russian propaganda is a part of internal governance, creation of foreign policy, but also an answer to complete hypocrisy, lies and contempt for other propaganda of the West, especially the United States.
I don't buy the black-and-white picture, which is trying to sell the US administration, on which the evil Russians want to destroy the world, and brave American heroes,who defense it.
Is the contemporary hero  a drone operator sitting behind a desk in San Diego, who with the effectiveness of 1 to 10 hit the terrorist, and then goes home for a dinner. 
What is the credibility of the Obama administration, as critic of Russia's actions in Syria after US forces shelled a hospital in Afghanistan, killing dozens of people and making it even more appalling - do not recognize this as a crime. 
Did US intelligence, leading American politicians have any right to judge the foreign policy of other countries after famous fake accusations of Iraq about weapons of mass destruction and ties to terrorist Al-Qaeda, which ended in attack on Iraq. 
What right to teach others about human rights issues have finally Americans, after the disclosure of investigation methods in Guantanamo?
These are just a few of many examples of how Western leaders often portrayed as defenders of peace and democracy, use methods complying with international law and, above all, true and simple decency. So lets look more deeply at this examples. 
1. Drones. In April 2016 at the meeting at University of Chicago Barack Obama was asked: "How are these killings morally and legally justified, and what kind of message does this drone program sends about American values to the world, the American people, and to law students like myself who refuse to put trust in an opaque process " It should be emphasize that this is a question not only to the President of the United States, but also the  Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. Barak Obama did not answer this question directly, but facts speak instead of words.
Numerous reports during the Obama Administration describe a pattern in which a missile fired from a U.S. drone hits an area, bystanders rush to the scene to help the wounded, and the drone, still overhead, kills the rescuers. On other occasions, drones have struck at funerals of drone-strike victims.  Credible reports of civilian casualties are common Intercept reported. “Between January 2012 and February 2013 U.S. special operations airstrikes killed more than 200 people. Of those, only 35 were the intended targets. During one five-month period of the operation, according to the documents, nearly 90 percent of the people killed in airstrikes were not the intended targets.” That’s one campaign of many in just one country where drone killings happen." 
The Guardian in 2014 writes:"A new analysis of the data available to the public about drone strikes, conducted by the human-rights group Reprieve, indicates that even when operators target specific individuals – the most focused effort of what Barack Obama calls “targeted killing” – they kill vastly more people than their targets, often needing to strike multiple times. Attempts to kill 41 men resulted in the deaths of an estimated 1,147 people. 
In May 2016 David Kilculen  and Andrew  Axum wrote in NYT  that drone strike in Pakistan "have killed about 14 terrorist leaders. But, according to Pakistani sources, they have also killed some 700 civilians. This is 50 civilians for every militant killed, a hit rate of 2 percent."

2. The raids on civilian targets. The armed forces of the United States October 3, 2015 year in the night for over an hour strafed from the air heavy weapons hospital in the city of Kunduz in Afghanistan, breaking humanitarian standards. During the attack, the Americans had killed at least 42 people - doctors, other staff, patients and their families, adults and children - and wounded 37 people. Hospital building was clearly marked. US forces knew his address and GPS coordinates. During the attack the representatives of Doctors Without Borders has repeatedly informed the American command about ongoing massacre.

In April 2016 years the Pentagon decided that raid on the hospital in Kunduz was not a war crime, but a human error combined with technical problems. Pentagon imposed on 16 officers and soldiers of disciplinary punishment mandatory training, written reprimands, removal from command and the like, while the processes before the UN International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague could result in life imprisonment, and before the American martial  court - the death penalty.
3.False Pretenses -  President Bush and seven top officials of his administration waged a carefully orchestrated campaign of misinformation about Saddam Hussein's and Iraq.
Before the invasion of Iraq, President George W. Bush and seven members of his cabinet 935 times spoke false statements about the threat posed by Saddam Hussein's regime - according to a published report by the Center for Public Integrity. 

Center for Public Integrity analyzed the 935 comments of the eight most important people in the country, including the Bush administration, the adviser to the National Security Condoleezza Rice, Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Colin Powell. A study entitled "False Pretenses"  can be found at www.publicintegrity.org/WarCard/. Almost five years after the US invasion of Iraq exhaustive research archives showed that the statements were part of an organized campaign, which provoked public opinion and ultimately led the country to war induced by false pretexts.


4.Guantanamo prison - because of their nature, and in particular on the continued detention of prisoners without trial and the use of torture during interrogations, there are opinions, mainly community of human rights defenders, that in fact Guantanamo prison meets the definition of a concentration camp.
In 2005 Vice-President Dick Cheney dismissed accusations That the camp was, in the words of one Red Cross report, a place of "Humiliating acts." He said of the prisoners, "They're living in the tropics. They're well fed. They've got everything they could possibly want. There is not any other nation in the world That would treat people who were determined to kill Americans the way we're treating these people. "
Among the methods of torture and humiliation of detainees there were beatings, long-term holding in isolation, sensory deprivation, sleep deprivation or light, prolonged interrogation, baiting dogs, forced prolonged stay in uncomfortable positions, to interfere in prayer and insulting religious objects, like the Koran. The use of torture has also confirmed the FBI report
During his first campaign, Barack Obama has announced the closure of the prison, but for 8 years to exercise their function of President of the United States has not done so.

One might say now, all of the above is true, but it is not the United States who occupy the Crimea and eastern Ukraine. However, the attitude to the world of the two superpowers isn't  similar?  In the US, public opinion was deeply concerned about the arrest Nadia Savchenko, Russia speaks about tortures in Guantanamo. Russia took Crimea arguing that needs to defend Crimea people, same did Bush about Iraq - he was saving Iraqi people and the Western world from the dictator. The main difference is the actual economic and military potential.