Friday, September 20, 2019

Harsh Suppression of Buryat Protests Sparks Protest by Russian Guards Officer


Paul Goble

            Staunton, September 16 – Viktor Khorzhirov, an ethnic Buryat serving in the Russian Guard, posted online an appeal to his colleagues not to arrest participants in peaceful protests because such orders are “obvious illegal” (ru.krymr.com/a/news-sotrudnik-rosgvardii-prizval-ne-zaderzivat-mirnih-demonstrantov-/30166629.html).

            He told Radio Liberty journalists that so far he hasn’t been threatened with arrest and that his fellow Russian Guards officers had responded to his appeal “in a positive way,” apparently in reaction to the brutal treatment the authorities have visited on Buryats who have protested again the falsification of the September 8 election results.

            For just how brutal official actions were in that Buddhist republic and why, see windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2019/09/five-reasons-for-protests-in-buryatia.html. In earlier protests in other parts of Russia, local police but not forces under the direct control have reacted in a similar way (windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2019/08/ingush-police-charged-with-disobeying.html).

            The protests are continuing, and yesterday, Aleksey Tsydenov, the head of the republic appeared, promising to have “competent organs” look into the complaints of the citizens.  He was met with shouts of “shame!” and “retire!” and quickly left the scene. 

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