- Gennady, have you collaborated with Alexey Navalny and his team?
- Until 2014, I was in their ranks.
He planned to create a party with them - it would be called the "Party of Progress" or "People's Alliance".
But it didn't work out.
- What did you do as a team?
- I'm a lawyer.
My task was to create the Lipetsk regional office.
- Who was your immediate superior?
- Dmitry Krainev (FBK lawyer -
RT
).
As I understand it, he was also deceived - and he left their ranks.
Then Ivan Zhdanov.
Also on russian.rt.com Director of FBK Ivan Zhdanov is wanted
- When did you decide to engage in opposition activities and began to cooperate with Navalny's team?
- It was the end of 2011 - the beginning of 2012.
After the famous meeting at Bolotnaya Square.
They recommended me as a lawyer, they said that I could head the Lipetsk branch and register it for myself.
They gave me a notarized power of attorney that I represent their interests in the Lipetsk region.
I had to register the party officially with the Ministry of Justice.
- And you succeeded?
-
I created the first cell here, applied for its registration with the Ministry of Justice six times, we were refused.
The agreement (with Navalny's team
- RT
) was as follows: first, we register by region, then the main headquarters is registered in Moscow, at the Ministry of Justice of Russia.
By doing so, we would become a real official party.
- Did you eventually register the party in the Lipetsk region?
- No.
We held founding conferences, but the Ministry of Justice constantly refused us.
- Because of this, you had a conflict with Navalny's Moscow team?
- No.
There was no conflict as such.
All this time I worked at my own expense.
Navalny did not pay me a dime.
They promised each time, but paid nothing.
- So you tried to register a party for Navalny at your own expense? How much money did you spend on this in total?
- At that time, I spent a very impressive amount for the Lipetsk region, more than 100 thousand rubles.
In almost three years.
Also on russian.rt.com "There are a lot of questions to this structure": the ex-head of Navalny's headquarters - about conflicts in the team and black cash
- Were you officially employed by Navalny?
- No.
Everything was voluntary.
I only had a power of attorney.
Everything is on a voluntary basis.
I expected to head Navalny's headquarters in the region, but all communication with me was suddenly stopped.
- Why?
- I do not know.
A couple of administrative cases were brought against me, I was in a special detention center, and no one helped me in anything.
- Do you know who added you to the blacklist?
- Volkov and Zhdanov.
- How much do you estimate the personal damage from cooperation with Navalny's team? And will you demand compensation for damage?
- In any case, more than 200 thousand rubles for all these years.
But I had already forgotten about that.
I forgive them in a Christian way.
And I think that demanding something from them is useless.
They have already been punished by law enforcement officers.
Everything has already fallen apart for them.
Then they were deceived by Danilov, the former head of Navalny's Lipetsk headquarters.
- How did you cheat?
- Instead of financing the headquarters, he bought himself an apartment for 4.5 million rubles.
No work was done, he took all the money for himself.
The guys come, they say that they also want to run for the city council deputies, they ask for money for campaigning, but there is no money.
- What makes you think that he bought a house not with his own money?
- He's unemployed.
No higher education.
Danilov explained the purchase of an apartment by the fact that he took out a loan.
But who will give such a loan to a person who has never worked anywhere?
Also on russian.rt.com 2.15 million rubles were withdrawn from Navalny's FBK-related bitcoin wallet in two months
- And what was the budget of the Lipetsk headquarters?
- Not less than 1 million rubles a month.
- Various ex-coordinators of headquarters from other regions talked about modest funding, from 70 thousand rubles a month ...
- I think it depended on the region.
If the region is promising, protest, they gave more money there.
* The Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) is included in the register of NPOs performing the functions of a foreign agent, by decision of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation dated 09.10.2019; the organization was recognized as extremist, its activities were banned on the territory of Russia by the decision of the Moscow City Court of 06/09/2021.
** "Navalny Headquarters" - the organization is recognized as extremist, its activities are prohibited on the territory of Russia by the decision of the Moscow City Court of 06/09/2021.