Confess...

Last few days and nights (especially them) have been tough. It's the breaking point i expected, when you have to push yourself not to slow down or give up.  And keep trusting your feelings. 

Got an email in spam: "Obama isn't helping? Try vicodin".  An ad for an online canadian pharmaceutical company. 

Russian prisons

Vladimir Vysotsky-a poet, a bard, died 29 years ago and, glad to say still very much remembered and loved. He was the inner voice of most Russians for over to decades. He was a voice of freedom and, yes, he was a genius. But had he loved now he probably wouldn't have liked the sate the country is in. Now, in 2009, i see him and all he stood for, as betrayed. 

RenTV called and said that they're making a film about the explosion in our building because there is little trust in the official version of what happened. They said that many of the neighbors they spoke with feel the same way. I feel I must stay out of it. 

Painful...reminds me of us...

Animal Farm

While the progressive Russian youth, Nashi movement, was splashing in the river in the Seliger summer camp and Medvedev was meeting with Obama, i was walking the dusty roads of Zherdevka town, waiting for Andrei's and my fate to be decided. I came across a kiosk that, strangely enough, was selling tickets to a circus, which was in town for a few days, I saw a colorful tent in the background and could barely believe the irony. 

The security guard at the court house said he is not going to search me because he read about me in the papers (a rather strange reason). Local TV station dragged its equipment up the stairs to the court room. 

Not knowing is bad. It's like a battle taking place, between the good and the bad, justice and injustice, and you don't know who's winning. A little past eleven i took my seat on a stiff wooden bench of the courtroom. There, to the right of me, was a cage with people. One of the people in there was the man i want to spend my life with. We caught each others' eye and he smiled at me faintly. I smiled back. It was unbearably painful to see how it tears him apart to be in that cage. 

The judge came in and we were told to rise. 'The defendants may have the last word'.  Last word here, I thought to myself, is like a last supper somewhere in a Texan jail. 

Andrei's last word was very strong. I felt tears rolling down to my chin and hanging there until they rubbed them off.  

Then Judge Lebedeva announced that the verdict and the sentence will be announce in two hours. Two hours and forty minutes later she came in, all red and almost shaking. When she started reading the verdict her voice wobbled and she couldn't catch her breath. Some last minute decisions, perhaps even phone calls,  took place in that time, i gathered,  and i was pretty sure they had something to do with Andrei. We had to stand the whole of two and a half hours that she was reading the verdict. 

While she was reading out the verdict some of the defendants were reading magazines, that showed  how little faith anyone had in the real justice of what was being pronounced. 

'Andrei Yakhnev - 9 years and 8 months', i heard but still couldn't sit down and just tried to lean against the wall.  

I turned to look at Andrei but the man with the camera was blocking my view of him. I scanned across the grim faces of our lawyers. I felt lighter- was that the tiny bit of hope i had left, gone? I squeezed Andrei's hand on my way out and then sat in the lawyers car crying.

Andrei later told me that the judge came up to him, while he was still in the cage, waiting to be taken back to jail; she came without her cape, as a regular person, and said that she is sorry. That she understands everything but her hands are tied and this was the best she could do for him.

In a twisted reality of Russia Andrei, at least at first, almost seemed to appreciate that. Well, i don't. And whoever i have to fight and with whatever methods, i will do so. 

My smile might be gone for good but the gloves are also off.

Natalia Estemirova was killed. 

Sulim Yamadaev is alive, paralysed neck down. 

A man with a private prison for 28 cells with torcher chambers is one of the most popular figures in Russia. 

Bravo Russia!

Our Plea

Andrei IS innocent and we need all the help and support we can get.

Might this have had some impact?

Setence

Andrei was given 9 years and 8 months in 'strict regime' jail.

After the process, quite a bit later, the Judge Lebedeva came up to him, cape-less, and said that she is sorry; that she understands everything but that her hands are tied and she did all she could for him.

I think it is pretty clear what this means. Andrei considers this to be a very brave move on her part, which, in Russia's twisted reality, it is.

ENGLISH TRANSCRIPT OF ANDREI'S LAST SPEECH

Your Honor,

In my opinion throughout this process it has been proved many times that I am wrongfully accused of the things that are being incriminated to me. I would like to point out that the investigation process was of a ridiculously low quality, of which there are many examples.

Your honor, I still insist on my innocence. When I left to meet those people I was doing my job. And if you consider the specifics of my work, which has already been discussed here in Court, you must understand that I couldn’t have ignored the information I received and not gone there.

Since there were many discussions here about my professionalism I would like to quote you some numbers, if I may.

During 2007, as a result of the work of the MVD special operations group in Dagestan which I headed, and due to the information collected, 28 extremist fighters were killed, while the losses on the federal side have gone down and only 21 officers, one member of investigation unit and one judge were killed.

After the incident that happened with me the work of the MVD special operations group, which, among other things, dealt with agents and informants, was paralyzed or  ‘stopped until the case is resolved’. Now, here are the figures announced by the president Dmitry Medvedev on the 9/09/09 during his emergency visit to Dagestan. Over the period of one-year 62 officers of the federal forces were killed, as well as 9 FSB officers, 2 judges and 7 employees of the local court of justice. This amounts to 80 people in federal losses. Also killed were 12 high-ranking officials and religious leaders. Among them the minister of interior of Dagestan, first deputy of the high court, deputy of the regional investigation unit and the head of the FSB department of Hasavurt.

These numbers show that losses on the federal side have increased significantly while only 35 extremist fighters were eliminated. These numbers are a direct result of the disruption of the work done in connection to the dealings with agents and informants.

Your honor, I have spent most of my adult life serving this country. But I don’t feel it’s appropriate for me to talk about my own achievements here too much. The necessary papers are included in the case. I also can’t share a lot since, in some ways, I remain on duty even though I am incarcerated.

I served this country giving it my all. My health, my personal happiness, my life. I have been wounded many times, including two gunshot wounds to the head, two barotraumas, and three blast related concussions. Since 1996 every year I have spent between 120 and 200 days on the missions.

There are many unresolved questions with connection to this case. Why people who were armed and had not the best intentions in mind travelled over 1000 kilometres and only carried out the attack, that really appears more like a circus show, on a well-lit petrol station under CCTV cameras and in front of many witnesses.

Your honor, I have been taught to be soldier and I have been doing it all my life and I believe I was doing it well. I fought to protect this country, never thinking about my own safety or well-being. I hope, your honor, you will take this into consideration.

Thank you. 

Must Watch

Link for the audio from the court room

 files.mail.ru/N7VFQ1

I will soon attempt to upload audio materials from the courtroom. 

Andrei info

I will now start uploading information on him and case as well as the trial.


Родился 2/7/1975 в г. Моздок в семье служащей и рабочего.
В 1992 поступил во Владиковказское выcшее военное командное Краснознаменное училище им Кирова; окончил с отличием.
С 1996 проходил службу в отряде специального назначения «Витязь» в должности заместителя a затем камандира роты специального назначения.
С сентября 2001 сотрудник а затем руководитель группы зашифровки и легендирования.

C 2003 сотрудник Центра по борьбе с терроризмом МВД РФ а после реорганизации - в Центре «Т» в должности старшего оперуполномоченного по особо важным делам, направление - розыск лидеров и активных участников НВФ, пресечение путей финансирования а также лиц в менждународном розыске.
За время прохождения службы на всех должностях, во всех структурах принимал участие в спец командировках на территории СКР, ЧР, в странах СНГ и зарубежом
Ранен, контужен.

The US trip and the Washington visit were encouraging. I am hopeful.

How it will all play out on the 8th.....I spoke to his mother today. She doesn't seem to really understand the situation which is good. She is heartbroken but at least doesn't know all the details.