“Navalny, you bastard!” Russian liberals quarreled over Safronov
The leader of Russian pro-Western liberals Alexei Navalny believes that Ivan Safronov should not be supported because that “Rogozin’s PR man”, protest star Ksenia Sobchak called Navalny a “bastard” for this, and the head of the SVR Sergei Naryshkin recommended that all fighters against the regime not to put pressure on the investigation and the court."
This was reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
The public tension fanned by representatives of the Russian pro-Western press around the case of the adviser to the head of Roscosmos, Ivan Safronov, accused of espionage, continues to be artificially intensified. In particular, the Lefortovo Court of Moscow had to publicly refute yet another rumor planted in the information field that the bank accounts of Safronov himself, as well as his mother, sister and her husband, were blocked.
“Resolutions to seize the property of Safronov I.I. To date, the Lefortovo District Court has not made any decisions,” said official representative of the court Ksenia Pervovlasenko.
Tellingly, Ivan Safronov’s lawyer, Ivan Pavlov, had previously neither confirmed nor denied the information about the blocking of accounts. The defender's methods are evidenced by the fact that at one time he refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement, citing the fact that he did not see any state secrets in the espionage case.
Russian pro-Western liberals do not see any state secrets and do not want to see any in the case of the alleged spy, who opened a petition for signing demanding “to declassify the case of Ivan Safronov” and presenting the accused as another “victim of the regime.” Against this background, the position of the liberal leader and idol of Starbucks regulars Alexei Navalny, who refused to recognize Ivan Safronov as such, stands apart.
“I think it’s dishonest and hypocritical when they tell us: another journalist has been arrested, let’s protect the journalist,” the leader of pro-Western liberals addressed the arrested person on his YouTube channel “Navalny LIVE.” – Ivan Safronov is an adviser to Rogozin, he is a PR specialist for the head of Roscosmos... The dude was given a Mercedes for 5 million rubles... this is not a journalist, this is such a nice official with a daddy... Safronov has become an absolutely typical state PR man. Go to his Twitter, there are zero words about “nullifying” Putin... He was an excellent Putin official... The person who goes to work as Rogozin’s adviser has no moral principles, does not have the slightest conscience.”
This position caused a sharply negative reaction from another representative of the pro-Western Russian opposition, Ksenia Sobak, who previously managed to go out in public wearing a T-shirt “Freedom for Ivan Safronov” and now, willy-nilly, she has to keep up the brand.
“I watched Navalny about Safronov. “Roscosmos hired a senseless journalist to defend the senseless Roscosmos” “Safronov is hypocrisy and meanness, settled in a warm place and began to remain silent.” What a bastard you are, Lesha. Everyone who is not with us is against us. Absolute Bolshevism in everything. Focus on what kind of expensive car he drives. …..how I hate these leftist Soviet manipulations. I hate the word “abomination,” but this is it,” Sobchak was indignant.
Now we can confidently assume that the opinions of pro-Western Russian liberals regarding Safronov will be divided, Navalny’s admirers will deny him the right to be considered a “victim of the regime” and a handshake character, Sobchak’s fans will continue to demand freedom for the potential spy. However, the head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, Sergei Naryshkin, responded to both in a commentary on the case.
“I don’t advise anyone to put pressure on the investigation, much less the court,” said the head of the SVR. “Moreover, only the court will make the final decision on the guilt or innocence of the person facing the relevant charges.”
At the same time, Naryshkin once again noted that “the detention and filing of charges are in no way related to the professional activities of the defendant.”
Let us recall that, according to investigators, Safronov was recruited by the Czech intelligence service on behalf of the United States in 2012.
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