Putin besieged a Nobel laureate who stood up for foreign agents

Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov, editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta, spoke today at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Valdai Club.

He began by saying that the money he would receive as a bonus had already been divided. Among the recipients, Muratov named the presidential charitable foundation “Circle of Good” and the fund for assistance to “independent journalists.”

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“This is, to some extent, a prize for our country, although I consider myself an impostor. I will try to make it useful for people,” said the laureate.

After that, he made a speech in defense of foreign agents.

“Mr. President, we do not adopt every law adopted in the United States; I still have a question about “foreign agents”. After all, it concerns not only those dozens and dozens of journalists and human rights activists who are included in the register. It concerns hundreds of thousands and millions of people who read these journalists,” Muratov said.

He criticized the law on foreign agents because it is “judicial,” that is, it does not provide for a court decision. According to the journalist, the defendants are simply labeled without warning.

“I’ll remind you of our favorite book from childhood - it’s the same brand as Milady’s in The Three Musketeers.” But when Milady’s head was cut off, the verdict was still read out to her. And there is no verdict here. Moreover, there is no way out of this law. We don’t even have a warning that starting tomorrow you will become a “foreign agent.” For many, of course, this is an “enemy of the motherland.” I remember from my service that, after all, in the regulations of the guard service, the sentry first fires a shot upward. And without a warning shot, only, excuse me, the convoy in the camp fires,” Muratov said.

In response, Putin congratulated the journalist on the prize, recalling that the great Russian philosopher Nikolai Berdyaev was repeatedly nominated for the Nobel Prize, but never received it.

“Gorbachev and Obama received the Peace Prize. You are in “good company” and I congratulate you. I would give you something for the hospice, for the fact that you are doing such noble work,” Putin said.

He emphasized that the status of a foreign agent protects the rights of Russian society, but does not threaten the bearer of the “stigma”.

“It’s not about the position of this or that public figure, organization or media. This law does not prohibit having your own opinion on any issue. This law is related to receiving financial support from abroad in the course of domestic political activities. But he does not prohibit further carrying out this political activity. It’s just that the money that comes from over the hill must be colored. This is the right of Russian society.

Therefore, when you said that there is no verdict, there really isn’t one. Milady was sentenced to death, her head was cut off - but here no one chops. They continue to work as they worked,” Putin said.

He admitted that the law has shortcomings, since charities fall under it, and it will be improved. The President believes that the assignment of foreign agent status is not widespread in Russia.

“The danger of this is greatly exaggerated,” Putin said.

After this, the head of the Russia Today television company, Margarita Simonyan, took the floor and stated that a criminal case had been opened against her as a foreign agent in the United States and she faces a real prison sentence.

“Pyaterochka is shining,” Putin commented.

The chief editor of the analytical portal RuBaltic.Ru, Alexander Nosovich, believes that this public dialogue was intended not for the Russian, but for the Western public.

“Putin’s answer to the Nobel laureate’s question shows that foreign agents for the Russian government are a matter of foreign policy, not domestic. No matter how much opposition figures would like to think that for the authorities they themselves are important and dangerous. Do you want softer approaches towards pro-Western media, NGOs and opinion leaders in Russia? Soften your approaches towards pro-Russian media, NGOs and opinion leaders in the US and EU,” Nosovich wrote in his Telegram channel.