“They wanted to intimidate”: Russian journalist in Latvia made his final speech in court
Journalist, editor-in-chief of “IMHOclub” Yuri Alekseevthat the Latvian police had an interest and clear motives for his arrest. He stated this in his last word at the trial, published on Facebook.
Alekseev recalled that he has been in journalism for 30 years and has published publications for many years, never having published anything that could be considered inciting national hatred.
“And in September 2017, according to the prosecution, I suddenly got mad – I started scribbling dozens of completely idiotic comments with clearly criminal content on the Internet with various pseudonyms every day. Moreover, I did it from my home, from my IP address. Knowing full well that finding me at the IP address is elementary, ”the journalist noted.
He also said that a year after the launch of his Internet portal “IMHOclub”, the resource was regularly included in the annual report of the Latvian Security Police.
“I was summoned several times for talks in the Security Police on issues, working with the work of the IMHO club. And in the process, the investigator unequivocally hinted to me that “IMHO club should be closed,” Alekseev shared.
A journalist, but that by 2017 he had already been under the scrutiny of the security police for five years, his publications never crossed the line of Latvian law and there was no formal reason for the law enforcement to close the portal.
“But in 2017, they found a way: to accuse me of a crime that I did not commit, to confiscate all computer equipment, all storage media and all archives from me for a year. That is, they actually robbed me, completely depriving me of the tools of labor. Then they deprived me, a journalist, of the right of free movement for a year. And, finally, they gave me a “happy life” for 4 years with interrogations, searches and trials. At the same time, I was repeatedly hinted that “IMHOclub should be closed.” That is, they obviously wanted to intimidate me and silence me, ”added Alekseev.
Also, as a journalist with many years of experience, he has repeatedly conducted journalistic investigations, so he knows how to look for “where the legs grow from”.
“And therefore I see in such actions of the Security Police and, most importantly, obvious motives,” Alekseev explained.
Commenting on the second charge concerning the storage of cartridges in the apartment. Consequently, he knew that a search was possible in the apartment and could get rid of everything that could be considered illegal.
Further, the journalist noted that the investigation found a photo in his family archive, where he was shooting pistols with his sons in a shooting range. The investigator visited the shooting range, made a copy from the register of weapons and cartridges issued in his name. These documents are filed to the case, since it was there that Alekseev allegedly “concealed” the cartridges in order to bring them to his apartment and hide them.
“But the fact is that the documents attached to the case contain two pistols and cartridges for them, which cannot be cartridges for a Makarov pistol. They have different standards! The cartridges from the Makarov pistol do not fit the weapon that my sons fired from, and for which I signed in the magazine. This can be seen both in the photo and in a copy from the shooting range register. And I do not believe that the Security Police officer could not have known this, ”explained Alekseev.
In his opinion, this fact only indicates that the police investigator was conducting the case in a biased manner.
“His goal was not to investigate the crime impartially, but specifically to accuse ME and only me of it, filed any piece of paper to the case, if only it would throw suspicion at me. And of course, this fact speaks about the very journalistic investigation, “- stated.
He also recalled that neither on the cartridges, nor on the bags they were stored, the examination did not find his fingerprints, nor even genetic material.
Alekseev explained that the charge of possession of child pornography was charged to the police in order for the trial to be conducted behind closed doors, since such cases are not open in Latvia.
“So: this was done in order to eliminate the press from the audience, which will certainly come to hear how their colleague Yuri Alekseev is being tried. And the press at the trial will probably notice that the case against their colleague is crookedly concocted, and that “white threads” are clearly sticking out of it, ”the journalist noted.
In conclusion, he explained that he has been charged with the crimes of which he is accused, “has no position from the point of view of reasonable logic”.
“But the motivation of the Police is clearly visible. They needed to scare and punish a journalist who, for some reason, they do not like. Which does not obey them, does not close its IMHOclub, ”Alekseev summed up.
Read more about the situation in the judicial system in the Baltic States in the material RuBaltic.Ru “Innocent people are tried and defenseless are kidnapped: the Baltic States have turned into a region of lawlessness.”
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