Attempts to accuse Russia’s Ex-president Yeltsin of crimes during 1991-1999

Deputy Chairman of the Security Council, member of the Duma’s special commission for procedure observance and validity of accusations against Russia’s ex-president Boris Yeltsin, and deputy of the Volgograd region, Alexander Kulikov, has addressed Public Prosecutor General Vladimir Ustinov. In addition, he handed over all the necessary documents. He asked for the institution of legal proceedings against Boris Yeltsin and an investigation of the period under his rule of 1991–1999 concerning grave crimes. The deputy recalled of that several years ago, a special commission accused Boris Yeltsin of several crimes: weakening of the Russian Federation, organization of a coup d’etat by force in 1993, launching hostilities in Chechnya, abuse of the presidential authorities, and genocide against the Russian people.

Despite numerous talks about the creation of a judicial state in Russia, we still can meet people outside the jurisdiction of any laws. What is the worst of all is that these people will continue to exist in the future.

Such a situation does not depend on any crime; its scale is what really matters here. Under the condition that a criminal is close to the head of the state, a plant or a branch of the economy can be stolen, a republic can be obtained in perpetual tenure, and dozens of minors can be demoralized. Nothing has changed since the new president came to power. Those who were close to the ex-president are immune even now.

Andrey Kozlenok, who was accused of stealing about a half of the Diamond Fund, was sentenced only to a 4-year imprisonment. Two-thirds of the time has already been served in a detention center. Soon, he is to be released with all the millions he stole, which will be legalized. The infamous Pavel Borodin regularly attends interrogations in Switzerland. He seems to be jeering at Switzerland’s investigating agencies that investigate his millions-strong thefts from the budget. There is no need to say that Borodin is threatened with nothing here in Russia. At the same time, Vladimir Gusinsky and Boris Berezovsky, who are said to have stolen about half of Russia, travel around the world without any fears. Today’s heads of oil, mining, energy, and other holdings are beyond the state system in Russia. Unfortunately, there are lots of examples of this kind. Karl Marx’s statement comes to mind: he said that all large fortunes were capitalized on crimes. He seems to be right. And almost none of the powers that be denies this fact. The problem is that there are just several real proprietors in Russia in the literal sense of the word.

Russia’s borders have opened up for everyone; however, majority of the population can not afford to travel abroad. Land can be bought in any part of the country if one has money, but the necessity of registration, existing in Russia only, has not been abolished. A so-called middle class is said to have been formed in Russia. Teachers, doctors, and engineers belong to it. Unfortunately, these people are, in fact, not well-to-do.

Therefore, today’s power in Russia is a successor to the previous one, as it admits itself. That is why there is little hope for Deputy Alexander Kulikov to institute legal proceedings against ex-president Boris Yeltsin. In any case, it will be impossible within the nearest six years (until the period of the presidential office is prolonged).

Andrey Cherkasov PRAVDA.Ru Volgograd

Translated by Maria Gousseva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2001/12/17/34862.html