Limonov’s Phone, Books, Chairs, and Heater Seized
By Sean at 27 August, 2008, 7:55 am
While everyone is focused on Medvedev’s recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, life goes on as usual in Russia . Perhaps, all too usual. Yesterday, court agents seized National Bolshevik leader Eduard Limonov’s property and forbade him from leaving the country. The move was to figure out how much the writer owns so he can pay the 500,000 ruble “compensation” for “damaging the honor, accomplishments, and business reputation” of Moscow mayor/oligarch Yurii Luzhkov. Last November Moscow’s Babushkinskii Court ordered Limonov to pay the mayor for disparaging remarks he made in an interview on Radio Svoboda. It was there that he made the audacious statement that Luzhkov controls the Moscow courts. Limonov clearly hit to close to home because he found himself in court shortly thereafter.
This is the second property seizure (at least that I’m aware of) of a National Bolshevik in the last month. The first occurred on 7 August, when authorities raided the apartment of Natsbol activist Maxim Gasovich. The authorities raided the apartment looking for another oppositionist named Darya Isayeva, who was suspected of “extremism” for a stunt she and several members pulled at a Moscow Yolki-Palki. According to the Moscow Times, the group of Natsbols skipped out of a 1,500 bill, and instead left leaflets saying “Eat for free!” on the table. The activists say that the stunt was a protest against rising food prices. I have to say that I find something endearing in the stunt.
Isayeva and another activist were detained but released later that evening. However, in an effort to find Isayeva again (if the cops wanted her, why did the let her go in the first place?) they raided Gasovich’s apartment a week later. The cops didn’t find her (surprise) and confiscated Gasovich’s computer and books by Eduard Limonov. In response to the incident the author said about the confiscation of his books, “These are published books. Only uneducated cops would think they could be used as evidence against us.”
Well, now Limonov’s books are getting seized.
What does he have in his apartment? Here is Kommersant’s description:
Mr. Limonov lives in a apartment on Nizhni Syromiatnicheskii street (according to the author he doesn’t have another apartment). . . [He and his lawyer Aleksei Orlov] waited for the court officers in a small room which has a bed, a pair of chairs with leather upholstery, a desk with an old typewriter and shelves with books.
Not much by way of value. But the agents did their best. They took Limonov’s mobile and stationary phone, heater, the chairs, and several books (even the Soviet ones). The total worth amounted to a whopping 14,850 rubles.
The only question is how will they turn these items into cash? Even Marina Iliushchenko, the court’s press secretary, can’t answer that one. “I don’t even know what to do with these items,” she told Kommersant. “Who would want them is almost incomprehensible.”
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I don’t like my Rodina so very much and usually trash it every chance I get, but whatever they do to Naz-Bols (or Georgians), I just look the other way…
I can’t really make myself care about Limonov.
I can’t really make myself care about Limonov.
-Ditto.
Sean.
)
This is just the procedure. Except personal item like underwear – everything is supposed to be seized.
Limonov already has started the campaign asking people to donate money to pay compensation. In form coins of 50 kopeeks and less
PS. Limonov supports the recongnition of S.Ossetia and Abkhazia btw.
Candide, so when they arrest a Georgian woman for being an illegal immigrant (even though she was legally in the country) and hold her until she dies in custody because they deny her medical care you ‘look the other way’? Of course, you like Bush, and that kind of treatment for immigrants is one thing the two countries can agree on. Whatever you and I may think about Limonov’s personal politics, he and his natsbols are the bravest activists in Russia and their actions are non-violent, symbolic acts that in the end hurt no one and bring attention to important issues.
daut, would you please give the name of the “woman” as well as dates of “accident”…please
“Candide, so when they arrest a Georgian woman for being an illegal immigrant (even though she was legally in the country) and hold her until she dies in custody because they deny her medical care you ‘look the other way’?”
I’m not Candide, but I’m not going to judge something based on the fate of one person.
To quote Sean himself, “The Moscow Times and Kommersant are reporting that Manana Dzhabelia, 50, a Georgian woman who was being held in a Moscow detention center for living illegally in Russia, died from a heart attack, and according to friends, was refused medical care.”
From Kommersant: “На прошлой неделе Мосгорсуд признал, что Манана Джабелия находилась в России на законных основаниях. Она должна была быть освобождена вчера, когда в распределитель поступил текст постановления Мосгорсуда.”
This was in 2006, when anti-Georgia fever swept Russia. My point is, when you say something as stupid as “whatever they do to Naz-Bols (or Georgians), I just look the other way” you sound very cruel
There was one guy whose natsbols were the bravest activists also … I think you can guess yourself time, country and results of that “bravery”.
I also hope that when someone would storm your office in non-violent symbolic form – you won’t die from hart attack neither had to pay for damage from your own pocket…
Poor woman – “маленький человек” caught by gears of “big politics”.
But “according to friends” is not a source. A corps on hands is the least thing guys at IVS want to get.
PS. Looking the other way is wrong way of dealing with problems by my opinion. Allowing “brave” natsbols, skinheads, muslims or whatever they call themselves to conduct their “symbolic” actions is the sure way to disaster (by my opinion as well).
“I think you can guess yourself time, country and results of that “bravery”.”
Iceland?
‘But “according to friends” is not a source.’
True
It was close, CC….
http://postdoc.blog.is/users/3d/postdoc/img/d_billeder_nazi_iceland_440390.jpg
Wow. I did not know that. I did know that Iceland was generally pro-German because they thought that would get them from under the Danish Boot. Like the Irish and Britain.
There were regular Wehrmacht delegation in Iceland before WWII.
daut,
“My point is, when you say something as stupid as “whatever they do to Naz-Bols (or Georgians), I just look the other way” you sound very cruel”
To explain my aversion to the Naz-Bols is easy: it’s their name and colors, red banner with black hammer and sickle, deliberately mixing the worst memories of the two most horrible regimes of the last century. IMO, when you present yourself like this, you deliberately put yourself outside the civil society, you are asking for trouble and you deserve anything that’s coming to you. So no sympathy to the Naz-Bols, sorry.
When I spoke of Georgians I was thinking about those ‘democrats’ that worship Stalin and Beria, declare “Georgia for Georgians”, suppress minorities and bomb Tskhinvali. No sympathy for those Georgians, either.
As far as that unfortunate woman, Manana Dzhabelia, the story is not as simple as you put it, but if you want to make it about Russian law enforcement (bad) or about Russian medical care (bad) or about other numerless Russian deficiencies, I’m with you.
Ivanov, how willing would you be to risk your life, health, or freedom the way some natsbols do for your political beliefs? Because I’m not sure I am. I’m still not sure what Iceland in the 30’s has to do with any of this, or who had a heart attack though…
and to Candide, there are real nazis in Russia who actually kill people, what the Limonovtsi do is political theater and satire.
Oooh, I love political theater! I’d so love to meet Mr. Limonov and slam a big creamy pie in his face, and hand him his own banner to wipe it all off.
Ukrop already did that, you might want to be more imaginative.
No, it’s allright, I’m content.
“Georgia for Georgians” .. oh yeah, like similar things have never come out of the mouths of Russian politicians in much more recent years. ::eyeroll:: Funny how that line from 1991 is still ringing in the ears of Russians. So shocking when a neighboring country says it, so mundane when a Russian political group uses it in paid advertising.
However, perhaps a more accurate motto would be “Georgia for Russians”.
re: “Source”, Ivanov, I know you can read – the source was Kommersant and Moscow Times. If they had cited “according to eye witnesses” would you also dismiss the news article for not giving the witnesses names, addresses, and political affiliation? Who is the newspaper supposed to find for testimony as to her treatment that would be a credible source? Her jailors? Are you really THAT stubborn? Does news really only make it into that thick head of yours when it comes from a source and point of view you already agree with? Isn’t that simply intellectual masturbation on your part?
I find it telling that natsbols, skinheads and Muslims are all lumped into the same group, as though their actions and behaviors are all the same. Maybe you shouldn’t go to Kazan, you might get beaten by a group of Muslims for being Orthodox and have a crescent moon carved into your head.
Whatever the National Bolsheviks might have been or done in the past (you know, that stuff largely excused in the most recent Russian history books) the current organization is simply a circus act, trying to drum up publicity for various ideas they have. To compare this current group with skinheads is ludicrous. To lump all Muslims into a similar category is outright bigotry.
“So shocking when a neighboring country says it, so mundane when a Russian political group uses it in paid advertising.”
The group in question does not have control of the army.