The blog of Navalny in English

The journal you're reading now is the official version of navalny's journal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexey_Navalny) translated into English

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From the Investigative Committee’s bid for changes to Alexey Navalny’s restriction of movement from a ban on travel to house arrest.

Commentary from Alexey Navalny’s lawyers, Olga Mikhailova and Vadim Kobzev:

1. In justifying a necessity for house arrest for Alexey Navalny, the investigative committee misleads the court, as it is indicating an infraction by Navalny of the conditions of his ban on travel. However, Navalny was permitted, until January 14^th, to visit the Moscow region.

2. The incidences of “infraction” were a trip to an out of town Foundation for Fighting Corruption seminar in the Odintsovo district, as well as a week-long holiday that Navalny took with his wife and children in a vacation home in the Moscow region. We note that the remarkable intensity by which Navalny has been investigated is characterized by the fact that the lease agreement for the ATV Navalny rented in the vacation home was obtained by the “K” administration of the Russian Federation’s Federal Security Service (FSB).

3. The call for the administrative arrest of Navalny is completely unfounded, not only because the case for the arrest was blatantly falsified, but because the judgement on travel restrictions hasn’t even entered into legal force.

4. Navalny is being charged with visiting the Moscow region as well as participating in meetings. It is also being demanded that Navalny be isolated and barred from using the Internet and other means of communication. This is direct evidence of the fact that the true objective of the proceedings is to deprive Navalny of the ability to blog and coordinate the anti-corruption activities of the Foundation for Fighting Corruption.

5. We draw your attention to the fact that as even Navalny’s conveyance from the detention center to the Basmanny Court was delegated to the FSB (according to information provided by the Basmanny Court), this clearly points to the extraordinary nature of the events taking place around Navalny, and the fact that they were sanctioned by the highest level officials of the Russian Federation.


Originally posted by navalny on February 27th, 17:43

[“SANYA THIEF”, Sanya stands for Alexander]

This is a non­existent fence. This is the most amazing fence in Russia. The thing is that this fence doesn’t exist, but it keeps sending people to jail.

This fence surrounds the summer cottage of Governor Alexander Tkachev, a frequent hero of my blog, the same one whose daughter became a billionaire at the age of 22.

So, Tkachev illegally installed this fence around his summer cottage at the coast of the Black Sea.



When environmentalists filed a complaint to the prosecutor’s office, they got a reply informing them that there is no fence.

But if there is no fence, than it is impossible to write governor Tkachev’s fair description on it (Sanya – thief), isn’t it?

However, it turns out, that the governor’s non­existent fence is even better guarded than any existing one.

A criminal investigation into the “property damage” has begun. This case, laughed at so much in the beginning, eventually caused ecologist Suren Ghazaryan’s political emigration, while ecologist Eugeny Vitishko was sentenced to three years probation.

So, on the day of Khodorkovsky’s liberation, Krasnodar authorities decided to change Vitishko’s probation into a real jail sentence on the pretext that Vitishko was one day late to register with the penal inspection.



I myself being on a similar probation must register with this penal inspection twice a month. It’s just a formality – sign and leave.

Nevertheless, Vitishko is now in danger of getting three years in jail and his wife will have to care for their two minor children alone (and the judge specifically noted that her 25 thousand ruble [$765] salary is enough for that purpose).

The whole case is very clearly described here. Be sure to read.

This information about Vitishko must be spread as widely as possible.
Of course every political case is reprehensible, but here they have gone far beyond any bounds of reason. These ghouls build cottages for themselves with unknown means, surround them with illegal fences, and anyone spray­painting the word “thief” on it gets sent to jail for three years.



Free Eugeny Vitishko.

You can learn more about actions to support Eugeny Vitishko in the blogs of Oleg Kozyrev, Suren Gazaryan and Evgenia Chirikova.


Originally posted by navalny on 2013-12-24 13:14:00

Translated by O. Well

It would be interesting to know what he’s feeling right now. That is, I wouldn't wish what he’s gone through on anyone, but it would be very interesting to read his thoughts.

10 years of life taken away due to unjust sentencing. Many months of looking at the brazen smirking mugs of "prosecutors", "judges" and "investigators".
Getting "pardoned" a couple of months, after having been robbed of hundreds.
Carrying himself, throughout the whole ten years, with such tremendous dignity.
What’s he harbouring right now in his mind and in his soul?

Well, whatever he’s feeling, we should congratulate Mikhail on the fact that today, he'll get to embrace his family.


Originally posted by navalny on December 20th, 13:11

-So, are you finally satisfied with Putin? – is what everyone’s asking me in reference to his menacing words against offshore schemes and the fact that I sort of praised those words yesterday.

Allow me to clarify. Its more that I’m pleased by the fact that Putin is at least starting to repeat out loud what the Foundation for Fighting Corruption introduced two years ago in bill form.  However, I highly doubt that the proposals regarding deoffshorization of the economy will be realized, and won’t just remain typical Putinesque promises made by Mr. Promise Maker.

Now let’s you and I listen and read about what Putin said regarding offshores:


[VIDEO OF PUTIN MAKING A SPEECH ON THE DEOFFSHORIZATION OF THE RUSSIAN ECONOMY]

The offshore nature of the Russian economy has become a byword. Experts call this phenomenon an escape from jurisdiction. As per some estimates, nine out of ten business transactions currently being concluded by large Russian companies, including, by the way, companies with state involvement, are not being regulated by domestic laws. We need a whole system of measures for the deoffshorization of our economy. I am charging the Government to bring forward appropriate and comprehensive proposals in relation to this issue.   
“There is no doubt that political competition is a good thing for our country. We need to form our own set of rules for political competition in good conscience.”

We need to achieve transparency within offshore companies;  the disclosure of tax information,  as do many countries during the course of the negotiations process with offshore zones and the signing of the corresponding agreements. All of this can and needs to be done. But if, during the choice of jurisdiction, a matter is decided pro-foreign legislation, then we need to, of course, admit that we need to make corrections to our own deficiencies in our judicial system during the rule making, during the practice of law. It is only by our honest admittance of this, that we can cardinally change the situation.
http://kremlin.ru/transcripts/17118

That’s what Putin said yesterday during his annual address… BUT HOLD ON A MINUTE, HE DIDN’T SAY THAT YESTERDAY.
That was the annual address from 2012. That is, he said that a year ago.

And this year, he repeated it all again.
…regarding the tasks related to the deoffshorization of the economy. There’s one other topic that I’d like to turn your attention to and which I feel is essential to revisit today.

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Therefore, the real question isn’t: “Will Putin engage in the deoffshorization of the economy?” but rather “Will Putin engage in the deoffshorization of his thieving friends?”

I doubt it. The affairs of the thieving friends are getting better and better and Mr. Promise Maker is only making promises.


Originally posted by navalny on 2013-12-13 15:31:00

We all have been waiting for the “return of Russian prestige in the international arena” that is being talked about so much on the idiot box.

This is very important, because Russian diplomacy has lagged a bit and didn’t have time to adopt the newest principals and traditions of Russia’s domestic policy, so it hasn’t always spurn the false values imposed by the enemies of Russia, like free elections and human rights.

It has happened at last. Now we have proof that Russian diplomats live and work in full accordance with the methods of their Kremlin bosses.
Just yesterday, Foreign minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov proudly claimed: "The attempts to adapt the OSCE area to match the interests of one group of countries through aggressive imposition of neo-liberal interpretations of human rights are harmful to the entire European civilization, - Lavrov says - Arrogant disregard of traditional values and moral standards common for all nations, as well as the ones specific to each nation is unacceptable."
So let’s get down to the review of moral standards of the Russian Foreign Ministry employees approved by Sergey Lavrov.

U.S. Attorney's Office has announced health care fraud charges against Russian diplomats.

You have probably heard the news and read some articles about it. However, the investigation department of our Foundation for Fighting Corruption has studied the accusation documents and wants to share some details with you.


Apple, Tiffany and forged income documents – those are the moral standards and traditional values of the Russian diplomats in the USA.

In brief, the fraud scheme is simple: Russian diplomatic mission issued official documents to its employees with false information about their salaries, so they could successfully apply for the Medicaid health care benefits meant for the low income families.
And then they would receive the insurance money and spend it with no worries about the fact that their credit cards spending and the documents that they turn in to the other USA bodies prove that they do not belong to the category of “low-income families”.
And this is exactly how they were busted.
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Originally posted by navalny on 2013-12-06 13:15:00

Translated by O. Well

What do you see in this photograph?
If you only see a river, cottages, the outskirts of forests and mushroom glades, then look closer.

Over there, riiiight over there, right in the centre of the photograph, you’ll see the perfect explanation as to why this political regime of “toads-on-a-pipe” [a derogatory reference to the Russian government] so vehemently refuses to ratify Article 20 of the UN Convention Against Corruption and so painfully reacts to attempts to introduce into the Criminal Code the article on “illegal enrichment”.

If these measures were realised, then this photograph would have brought big problems to some people in the Kremlin and the United Russia Party.

I’ll explain things in more detail and I’m sure that you’ll like this story.

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During the course of this investigation, the Foundation for Fighting Corruption established that:

1. Highly-ranked civil servant Volodin violated existing anticorruption legislation and submitted a false declaration of property in which he did not declare the better part of the plot of land on which his estate is situated. We demand an official investigation and the removal of Volodin from public service.
Here is our official letter on the subject.

2. United Russia Party deputies Neverov and Rudensky, and former deputy Ashlapov violated anticorruption legislation and provided false information regarding their property in their declarations. We demand official recognition of this fact and the expulsion of these swindlers from the State Duma. We await, from “United Russia”, the exclusion of these people from the party.

3. We accuse deputies Neverov, Rudensky and former deputy Ashlapov, of receiving bribes from entrepreneur Shustenko and demand a criminal investigation. (Link to the accusation sent to the Head of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation).

4. We believe that the property in the possession of civil servant Prikhodko is not even closely comparable to his income, and demand that he explain the source of his funds.

The part about cooperation and nation-wide collaboration
We would really appreciate if you could help us disseminate this information. You know, the citizens of the Russian Federation would probably be very interested in looking at the cottages of the “servants of the people” and asking, alongside us, “what money these cottages where built with”

We made this wonderful site: http://dacha.fbk.info/



It would be really cool if you could broadcast this link http://dacha.fbk.info/ where ever you can.

It would be particularly good if you could share this link with all sorts of non-political blogs and groups. This sort of information is of interest to everyone.
If you have an account on the social network “Odnoklassniki”, then please post it there (or ask your parents to), and ask everyone to broadcast the link.
“Odnoklassniki” is a social network that a ton of people over 50 are on, who use the Internet, but don’t read all these Live Journal and Facebook pages.
Well, and it goes without saying, Twitter, VK, FB - that’s about all.
There’s no link that won’t be of use. Each link, retweet and posting is the prod of a sharp stick into the filthy toad.
LiveJournal now allows you to embed posts in tweets, and not just the pictures. If you click on “retweet” right now, then good stuff!



http://dacha.fbk.info/#ashlapov

We’ve made an internet poster that you can all put up on your wall. Please do.

As usual, for those who are most active, we’ve made a poster for offline distribution. Hang it up in your lobby in order to spark hatred and discontent against the “Arrogant United Russia Party Member Swindlers Who Stole Money and Built Palaces” social group.

Journalists and members of the media, we understand that not everyone is allowed to publish such information, but it would be great if you could at least try.
Thanks in advance to everyone who has taken a sharp stick in hand.

http://dacha.fbk.info/

Well and of course, a huge thanks to the members of the Foundation for Fighting Corruption that have worked on this investigation, in particular: the Furious George @alburov (he’s terribly cool) and the heroic paraglider @BlackKarlsson.

If you like what the Foundation for Fighting Corruption is doing, you can support us – the Foundation supports itself on the donations of citizens of the Russian Federation.




Originally posted by navalny on 2013-11-27 13:46:00

Dissernet [a volunteer professional net community making expert examinations of theses defended by Russian state officials] has brilliantly prepared something on our old acquaintance, Mr. Bastrykin, the Czech spy.
[http://navalny-en.livejournal.com/26788.html
http://navalny-en.livejournal.com/28761.html
http://navalny-en.livejournal.com/35977.html]



It has turned out that this trickster plagiarized a book he published in 2004.
He simply stole entire parts of it from two foreign authors.

Table of borrowings in A. I. Bastrykin’s book, “Hand Signs. The Science of Fingerprints” (Saint Petersburg, 2004)


[Sources of borrowings:
XXX Front page, Contents, Introduction, Bibliography, Appendices, Drawings, Tables – not subject to textual analysis.
XXX Jürgen Thorwald, “100 Years of Criminal Investigation” (Progress Publishers, Russia, 1974).
XXX Anthony Summers, “The FBI Empire – Myths, Secrets, Intrigues” (Rusich Publishers, Russia, 2001).
XXX Large-scale borrowings not found].

The full story is here, read it: http://cook.livejournal.com/246676.html

Some remarkable chief of the Investigative Committee we’re having, say nothing!
Stealing books, (drunkenly) threatening a passer-by with a gun, getting a residency permit in a NATO state. Just wonderful.

And hats off to Dissernet! It’s a magnificent example of a project where people do their job perfectly for the common good.
It is with the greatest pleasure that I have donated some money to them. They are sure to make use of it 146%.


Originally posted by navalny on 2013-11-25 19:54:00

The People's Alliance held another founding congress yesterday.



I understand that the words “another” and “founding” look odd together, but this is exactly the case.

The People's Alliance has supporters, an ideology and a platform, but it has no document from the Ministry of Justice yet.
And that is exactly the reason for it, because if someone has supporters, an ideology and a platform, the Ministry of Justice would not issue the document to register them. Because this someone could start successfully participating in the elections.

You can have a look at the history of the People’s Alliance in my posts:
April 2012 http://navalny.livejournal.com/700532.html
November 2012 http://navalny.livejournal.com/748972.html
January 2013 http://navalny.livejournal.com/767541.html
March 2013 http://navalny.livejournal.com/778232.html
October 2013 http://navalny.livejournal.com/867896.html

I had a chance to see the need of such a party in the last election, which I participated in with the People’s Alliance’s actual platform. I also had requests from many of the voters to see a party with this Platform on the ballot so that they can finally have someone to vote for.
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Originally posted by navalny on 2013-11-18 14:16:00

Translated by O. Well

Why read long analytical articles in the Vedomosti business daily about why the Russian economy is stagnating, growth of the GDP is halting, and why with each passing year, we get further entrenched in our status as a supplier of raw materials to developed countries?

Here, just take a look at the top three spots on the list of “25 Highest-Earning Russian Executives in 2013”.

Its being proposed that these are the very best; the leaders of our economy, people whose unique knowledge and competencies have led to their labor being compensated at such a high rate.

In 3rd place:
Alexey Miller with an annual income of $25 million.


A brainless weirdo who used to work for Putin at the Saint Petersburg Mayoral Office’s Committee for External Relations, and who was later appointed to manage Gazprom  in order to turn it into the world’s largest feeding trough for Putin’s other friends.
Large diameter pipes are being supplied to Gazprom by the Rotenberg brothers [V. Putin’s buddies]

The contractors, extracted from the Gazprom organizational structure, then privatized, receive out-of-this-world revenues for their out-of-this world priced labor.

A colossal decline in output and the fiasco with shale gas that Miller considers to be a “myth” – there’s the legacy that will be left in his wake.
Well, not counting, of course, the Swiss bank accounts and property in the south of France.

In 2nd place.
Andrey Kostin, Chairman of VTB Bank, with an annual income of $35 million.


A liar whose pants are on fire and flaming a hundred times brighter than the largest Olympic torch. He turned the state-owned VTB bank into an organized criminal group where one thief rules over another.
Just read my LiveJournal posts tagged “VTB” and it’ll all become clear.
He keeps begging for government aid to plug the financial holes in his bank caused by total management incompetence and corruptness.

In 1st place
Igor Sechin, with an annual income of $50 million.


Yet another incompetent blood sucker from the St. Petersburg City Council [In the ‘90’s], he sat at Putin’s reception [at City Hall]. When it became possible to “settle big issues” from out of this reception room, he organized a wonder-business for Gunvor Group Ltd, a Swiss intermediary that turned into the chief exporter of Russian oil. Then he moved over to state-run Rosneft Co. and manages it as if it were his own private holding.

Such are the strange “highest-earning executives” with such strange “success stories” and such equally strange “lists of accomplishments”.

As is typically the case, the whole troika of highest-earning executives work for state corporations. Managers can’t set salaries for themselves if the amounts aren’t approved by the primary shareholder, the state.
This, obviously, is evidence of the fact that namely the management of state corporations is officially regarded to be ideal in terms of effectiveness. Well, and Gazprom, VTB and Rosneft are regarded as the best companies in the country.

Well, and in closing, in connection with this rating, all of us need to salute Putin’s All Russia People’s Front and their brilliant work on salary capping for workers in state corporations.

Originally posted by navalny on 2013-11-21 12:03:00