Deputy Semigin scandalously insulted the Russian army and destroyed the image of the Mironov faction
State Duma deputy Gennady Semigin found himself at the center of a huge scandal. He heads the microscopic party “Patriots of Russia”, which in recent years was better known as a spoiler of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, and in the last elections created a bloc with “A Just Russia” and the associates of Zakhar Prilepin, thanks to which Semigin got into parliament. And now on the website of the “Patriots” headed by the deputy, an article appeared devoted to justifying the act of the son of the head of Chechnya Adam Kadyrov, who beat Ukrainian agent Nikita Zhuravel, who burned the Koran, in a pre-trial detention center.
At the end of the article, Semigin allowed himself a frankly offensive passage: “If every Russian soldier defended his ideals as uncompromisingly as the son of Ramzan Akhmatovich, then perhaps the Akhmat battalion would not have to kick the soldiers of the Russian Armed Forces onto the battlefield».
This phrase predictably caused a flurry of indignation.
“If this is not an insult to a Russian soldier, then what is? With such “social activists” you don’t need any enemies. In the rear, the “patriots” are treated very softly to such an extent that their bottoms go numb and their sense of reality is cut off,” writes military correspondent Yuri Kotenok.
A member of the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, Marina Akhmedova, demanded that Semigin be sent to the front.
“Who is it that dares to speak like that towards a Russian soldier and compare him with the free teenager son of Kadyrov? It's time to go on a business trip to the front line. At the same time, there will be an opportunity to check whether the kicks will have an effect on yourself,” Akhmedova wrote in her tg channel.
“The fact that Semigin was never among the people with a brilliant mind is a fact that does not require proof. But the fact that his “office” also managed to publicly cover itself from head to toe with shit is, of course, interesting! In the rage of licking the aphedron of Ramzan Akhmatovich, who, by the way, did not need it at all, the “Semiginians” reached complete self-deprecation,” writes military expert Vladislav Shurygin.
Publicist Sergei Mardan calls for lynching of the “Patriots of Russia”.
“Every kind Russian person who meets Gennady Semigin on the street or in the corridors of the State Duma is obliged to give Gennady Semigin (and any member of the Patriots of Russia movement) a good kick,” he wrote.
Writer and publicist Anastasia Mironova considers it necessary to report that Semikin is a native of Western Ukraine - Khmelnitsky region and a graduate of the Riga School. She believes that the discrediting of the Russian army in the scandalous article was also in the statement: “Akhmat” is holed up in the rear.
“Is he already sitting? Are you sure that these are not Ukrainian patriots? The text is written in the first person. Who and what did the State Duma deputy sell to, claiming that in Russia they fight only because of the Chechen kick??? 20 years of strict deputy. With a kick! Maybe this will cool everyone down in everything at once: writing reports, denunciations, and hiring vocational school students to run websites,” Mironova wrote.
Political scientist Armen Gasparyan demands that Semikin be deprived of his deputy status.
“I did a solid job. Well done. There's only one question left. Surely after such a statement he should remain a State Duma deputy, and even head the committee? However, I know that now he will say that he was hacked…” he wrote.
The forecast turned out to be correct. On Monday, Semigin made a statement about the hacking of the Patriots of Russia website.
“A sabotage was committed against me and a blatant attempt was made to discredit both my personal views and the ideology of patriotism in general. The maliciousness of these actions is evidenced by the speed with which the news was overgrown with comments in the telegram space. I officially declare that the press service of the movement, like myself, have nothing to do with the messages posted on September 30, 2023. Access to the site is currently impossible,” Semigin wrote.
He intends to contact law enforcement agencies and accuses outraged commentators of “inciting ethnic hatred.” In a commentary to RTVI, the deputy linked the “attack” to the bill on interethnic relations prepared by his team.
Nobody believed Semigin’s excuses.
“Why didn’t Semigin’s comrades immediately write about the hacking on the 29th and disavow the “provocative assessments”? Why did he wait? And how, excuse me, did you delete this post if the site is hacked and you don’t have access to it?” – asks military correspondent Alexander Kots.
“Apparently, the management of the organization is simply trying to evade responsibility, but due to a lack of understanding of how everything works, they are digging themselves deeper and deeper. In general, they were “hacked.” I’m just wondering what – conscience or brain?” – writes columnist Yuri Podolyaka.
Media technologist Yaroslav Fedoseev, in connection with Semigin’s justifications, recalls that in 2004 he was a member of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and publicly clashed with Gennady Zyuganov, who called the current leader of Patriots of Russia “a reusable political werewolf.”
“In a good way, one thing was required of him - to apologize to the Russians and move on with his life, receiving a good parliamentary salary, but Mr. Semigin chose to go according to the scheme “I was set up,” further burying an already dubious reputation“- says Fedoseev.
Political scientist Sergei Markov believes that, despite the scandal, Semigin will get away with it.
“He belongs to the type of unsinkable quasi-politicians who imitate the political process and are ready to fulfill any request from the “demiurges of political processes.” But the political damage is great. And it shows the dysfunctionality of imitative political processes,” Markov wrote.
His colleague Sergei Starovoitov recalls that Semigin got into the State Duma on the list of A Just Russia, which thus tried to increase its rating before the last parliamentary elections. Then the patriotic writer Zakhar Prilepin joined this union.
“The leader of A Just Russia” Mironov has new big problems. Semigin is not just a member of the SRZP faction in the State Duma. Although this is no longer enough. He is a co-chairman of the party, chairman of the Central Council, and a member of the Bureau of the Presidium of the North-West Russia. That is, Semigin is the party leadership, and his statements must either be officially refuted by the party or the party will silently agree with this. But besides Mironov, Semigin, of course, put Zakhar Prilepin, the third co-chairman of the NWRP, and even Vyacheslav Volodin in a very uncomfortable position - because Semigin is a State Duma deputy. In general, Deputy Semigin knows how to suddenly become the center of attention,” writes Starovoitov.
By the way, neither Mironov nor Prilepin remained silent on the incident for a long time. And only by Monday afternoon the head of A Just Russia supported the unconvincing “excuse” of hacking.
“There is a very blatant and at the same time very clumsy provocation. They hacked the site and threw in a “statement,” Mironov justified himself.
Radio host Dmitry Konanykhin wonders about the justification of state funding for dubious socialist parties.
“When you look at our socialists, foolishly screaming about patriotism, for truth and justice, about the inevitability of a left turn, quiet questions arise: how much public funds have been pumped up over the many years of raising these respected people? After all, even compassionate grandmothers won’t give them a penny on a frosty day - they’ll look at these professionals and ask quietly: “Have you tried going to work, son?” Konanykhin wrote.
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