Citizens of Russia, when traveling abroad, run the risk of being persecuted by American intelligence agencies. This statement was made by the Russian Foreign Ministry. The capture of Russians by American “justice” can happen both in the United States and in the territories of third countries with which Washington has extradition treaties, diplomats recalled. Currently, there are 109 such states, the list is attached - more than half of the UN list. Russia will stand up for compatriots in any way, Smolenskaya Square promises, but it’s better not to bring it to this. Reasonable? Yes.
There are more than enough reasons for concern for the Foreign Ministry. So, since 2008, in the territory of third countries, Americans have arrested 53 Russians. Of these, six - in 2019. For credibility, the most egregious examples are given. Among them is the case of Bogdana Osipova, who was accused of kidnapping her own children and extorting (!) Child support from her ex-American husband. She was promised a seven-year term in case Osipova returns children with Russian citizenship back to the United States. A practice more like hostage-taking.
Among other compatriots captured, mention is made of Konstantin Yaroshenko and Roman Seleznev, abducted by the Americans, and, of course, Viktor Bout, recently transferred to the special security unit of the Illinois prison and deprived of the previous opportunity to call up relatives. And also Maria Butina, happily released and taken to her homeland after many months of psychological torture. Her fault only in the fact that she had a Russian passport is a bitter truth that has to be realized in the supposedly progressive and humanistic 21st century.
It would seem that the United States and Russia have no obvious need to create problems for each other in these matters. Back in 1999, an agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters was signed between the countries, which allows resolving tense moments with minimal damage. However, all attempts by our Foreign Ministry to use legal mechanisms are blocked. And after the closure of the Russian Consulate in Seattle with the support of compatriots on the west coast of the United States, technical difficulties also arose. You can’t run into any California from Washington or New York.
Complaining about the inappropriate behavior of the Americans, rightly reproaching them for unseemly actions, one should nevertheless clearly be aware that complaints will not help the case. It seems that what is happening is the flip side of our nascent power, the process of restoring a multipolar world. In the 1990s, in the era of Russia's weakness, we were not particularly touched. Why, if Kozyrev’s diplomacy itself handed over the country's strategic interests?
Now, as Russia's authority grows, they are trying to bite in a small way. Including capturing our citizens.
The United States is here, as usual, ahead of the rest and at the same time set the tone. If Washington does this, then it is possible for us, they argue in Europe and sometimes put Russians on the most ridiculous, unrelated charges. What, for example, is almost 400 years of the imprisonment of our sailors Plato Davydov and Anton Karramov for facilitating the import of illegal migrants into Greece. According to local law, for each of them you can get several years in prison. Dozens pulled for life. But is he appropriate for this?
Moreover, the seizure of Russian citizens in third countries, fabulous terms for them is only part of the more general problem of the persecution of our compatriots and everything connected with Russia. Attempts to remove children, the status of a “non-citizen” in the Baltic states, the ban on the use of the Russian language, the struggle of local authorities with historical memory, biased inspections of our journalists in the EU, etc. are all attempts to overthrow the Russian a person into oblivion not by military but by “humanitarian” methods.
So, opposing Washington in particular cases of prosecution of Russians around the world, supporting its own, Moscow thus holds the widest front of resistance. And our compatriots abroad are becoming, in a sense, an advanced detachment that even holds back the political pressure on their homeland even by the very fact of their existence. As at all times, they put souls “for their own friends”.
In this field, Russia has its own heroes. The same Victor Bout directly from the American “kichi” comments on important events for Russia, such as the Pentagon’s assassination of General Suleymani, the manufacture of Tomahawk missiles or the upcoming American “maidan”. And he does it boldly, without regard to his own interests, supplementing with his important opinion the picture of the world of the same Russian Foreign Ministry. And understanding the enemy, as you know, is already half the success. After the exchange, Bout could well have been invited to work at Smolenskaya Square.
In general, undertaking to restore a multipolar world, it would be useful for Russia, protecting it from the arrests of its citizens, to sometimes start protecting others too. At least in words. In order to in principle negate this. For example, even only words of support to Ilyich Ramirez Sanchez (Carlos) (serving time in a French prison and kidnapped at one time, like Booth, in the Sudan by intelligence agents) would show everyone that Russia condemns the practice of capturing foreign citizens. A clearly stated moral position already indicates strength. Ultimately, this will benefit the Russian people.
The author’s point of view may not coincide with the position of the publisher.