The information and political event of the day in Russia is Ilya Yashin’s address to Ramzan Kadyrov (https://youtu.be/qirqAIvv2S8). In general, this address is evaluated from an emotional perspective: «handsome», «a real man», «not afraid», and so on.
Let’s not argue about the form, but the question arises — «not afraid of what?» Because, of course, every courageous act deserves respect, but we should not forget that Yashin is not a young blogger-activist, but an experienced politician, judging by his professional experience. And this means that his messages should be considered not as truth seeking, but in the political context they carry.
So what did Yashin say in his speech? Among other things, the following:
«I will tell you something about our country. Here we have a constitution and laws that apply to everyone. Do you understand what that means? Everybody is equal. The shopkeeper, the office manager, the governor, the minister, and even the president.»
And here you just want to say, «What?!»
For what «country» is he talking about? Perhaps he has acquired dual citizenship and is talking about some country where the rule of law, independent courts, and other institutions exist that make what he describes possible? Because none of this applies to Russia at all, and the sanity of anyone who claims otherwise raises significant questions.
He continues: «Besides, Ramzan, in our country it is unacceptable to kill opponents and threaten them with death.
Seriously, Ilya? Don’t you know that the Secretary of the General Council of United Russia, Andrei Turchak, publicly threatened journalist Oleg Kashin, and as a result, Kashin was beaten almost to death with a piece of rebar? And although Kashin does not inspire the slightest sympathy in us, the point is not about him, but about the fact that a person who threatened him with violence is elected to one of the key leadership positions of the country’s ruling party.
Some may argue that we should not focus on the details. Perhaps, but this is by no means a detail. Because ignoring the fact that Putin’s Russia in 2022 is a full-fledged criminal state, both domestically and internationally, and pretending that this is an attribute of just one region and its leader is a false and dangerous shift of blame.
It is dangerous, in part, because Yashin also says in this video: «Chechnya must live according to Russian laws. Chechnya has to obey the Russian constitution.» And the point is not that the rest of Russia does not live by Russian laws and the Russian constitution, but that anyone who says otherwise is either stupid or dishonest. The birth of the current regime of internal and external terror began thirty years ago with the very slogan that Yashin is now promoting — «the establishment of constitutional order in Chechnya».
So, does this seeker of truth propose to step on the same rake and start establishing constitutional order in Chechnya instead of doing it in Russia itself? We can only repeat what was recently said on this subject (https://golosislama.com/news.php?id=40443): «Of course, we will have to establish order in Chechnya, but it should not be the task of Russia, whose people should first establish order on its main territory, but of the Chechen people themselves, on whom Russia should stop imposing a certain authority. And if the Russians do not like the results of the Chechens establishing this order for themselves — fine, they can administratively separate themselves from the region or regions whose orders will contradict each other. And then sit down at the negotiating table and decide how they will live together or separately.»