In an interview with Tucker Carlson, the Russian President said: “The Poles forced” Hitler to attack Poland.
On Friday, February 9, opposition politician Sergei Antonov, who left Russia in the summer of 2022, contacted the Investigative Committee with a demand to include Russian President Vladimir Putin under Article 354.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ( “Rehabilitation of Nazism” ).
The basis for the statement was Putin’s interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson, in which the Russian President, among other things, touched upon the events of World War II and stated that “the Poles got too carried away and forced Hitler to start World War II.”
— Why did the war begin on 1 September 1939, specifically in Poland? It was uncooperative. Hitler had no choice in implementing his plans to start with Poland, said Vladimir Putin.
According to Sergei Antonov, in the words of the President of the Russian Federation, one can see “denial of the facts established by the verdict of the International Military Tribunal for the trial and punishment of the main war criminals of the European Axis countries, approval of the crimes established by the said verdict.”
In Antonov’s opinion, the politician also believes that Putin, “committed this crime under aggravating circumstances” – he disseminated information “using his official position”, as well as “using the media or information and telecommunication networks, including the Internet network”.
These qualifying characteristics are listed in paragraphs “a” and “c” of Part 2 of Article 354.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.
Antonov admits that, in general, the article on the “rehabilitation of Nazism” is used in Russia to “deal with undesirables,” however, according to him, Putin’s statements made in an interview with Tucker Carlson fall within its wording.
— The application has been registered and a number has been assigned to it. Let’s see how the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation will get out of it,” summed up Sergei Antonov in a conversation with an Idel.Realii correspondent.
Antonov abroad heads the “Committee 2024” – an association of Russian opposition politicians against the usurpation of power in Russia.
A group of Russian politicians added to the demand, for the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation to refuse Vladimir Putin’s registration.
During the collection of signatures in support of the nomination of Vladimir Putin as a candidate for the presidency of the Russian Federation, the “Committee-2024” submitted to the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation a record number of complaints about violations, which, the applicants noted, were committed by regional and municipal officials, as well as representatives of budgetary institutions. The Central Election Commission ignored all 320 complaints. Now “Committee-2024” demands that the Investigative Committee include members of the Central Election Commission under the article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Negligence”.
“Idel.Realii” has already told how selectively the article “rehabilitation of Nazism” can be applied in Russia. For example, Kazan activist Zulfiya Sitdikova is now accused under this article. Experts appointed by law enforcement agencies and the investigation concluded that posters with the slogans “No to War” and “9th Way” fall under the “rehabilitation of Nazism.”
Andrei Grigoriev
