Boris Perchatkin about terrible persecutions in Russia
Human rights activist Boris Perchatkin about terrible persecutions in Russia. Watch the entire story here. The transcript of the video in English can be read below:
[Translator’s notes throughout the document are in square brackets.]
[The entire original recording is in Russian, except for certain episodes in English, so specified in the translator’s notes]
[Start of Transcript]
[Boris Perchatkin presentation:]
I am Boris Perchatkin, president of the human rights organization American-Russian Relief Center. Three weeks ago I returned from Russia. For about two months I traveled from Moscow to Siberia and other places, studying the situation regarding the freedom of religion on the territory of Russia.
While talking to pastors and to regular people, including the people who are also involved in human rights activism in Russia, I have come to the following conclusion: that what is currently being used in Russia is the effect of the momentum of fear. This is not surprising because the KGB is holding power now, starting from Putin and going down the line. How is this done? Of course, many people can say now, mostly simple people in Russia, that we have freedom now, it looks as if everything is normal.
[Video clip insert: people being dragged and pushed violently; screams and noises heard]
[Excerpt from an interview, voice behind the scene:] Twice they knocked me off my feet, attempted to suffocate me, but thank God that the Lord has saved me.
[End of video insert]
[Boris Perchatkin presentation, continued:]
But when you start talking to pastors, to bishops, and to others it comes out that there are indeed problems with regards to freedom of religion. When I suggested to them: “Let me tape you, let me interview you, let me write down your name, address, and telephone number,” – people would abruptly refuse. When I asked: “Why are you afraid?” – they would respond: “Well, you are there, in America, and we are here, in Russia. We don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow.” And, as usual, they would say: “We had incidents happen.” And very often, as usual, they would cite the example of Voronezh region, Liski, and what happened there. “Yesterday it happened to them, tomorrow it could happen to us. So far they haven’t touched us, so we’ve been sitting quietly. If something happens to us personally, then we will talk. Otherwise, we, so to speak, don’t want to walk in the teeth of the wind.”
And they use very effective weapon there, as it was done in the Soviet Union. But if in the Soviet Union they persecuted everyone, en masse, there were laws and there was Criminal Code that legalized persecution based on religious and political grounds. Of course all this does not exist there anymore. But a different method is being used now: to strike one, so that thousands, tens of thousands, and even millions would be afraid; to persecute one, two, three or ten churches for show, but to persecute it in the cruelest way.
Whereas before they would simply incarcerate people, today they would use more effective scare tactics: they would beat everyone in a church, maim people, and then attempt to arrest people, to fine them and do all of this as a warning to others – and it works.
[Video clip insert: arrested people with signs of injuries on their faces seated on a bus]
[Boris Perchatkin presentation, continued]
It works very well. Here I brought footage from Russia. It’s about a community in Yakutia, which was repressed in 2000. The presbyter is still in prison. I was in this community, heard their stories; they gave me their archive, letters, each one of them wrote his or her biography. As far as what happened to them, it’s difficult to manage to tell it in five minutes, even in half-an-hour. I think even five hours wouldn’t be enough, because this was a long ordeal. But the lesson that everyone in Russia learned from this situation is still operative today, although it has been already seven years.
[Video clip insert:]
[Opening credits:] Aldan, Russia, 2000
[Episode 1]
[Bearded man in glasses:] In your law you say: “Don’t murder,” but you murder, “Don’t steal,” but you steal, etc., etc. We are not going to be more specific. You owe us.
[Police representative in a suit:] How much?
[Bearded man in glasses:] If we were to talk about this, you owe us for all our efforts and such.
[Cut]
[Bearded man in blue sweater]: About a month and a half ago a deputy was here. People visited us; they controlled us, inspected us, and made, so to speak, an audit of us. In general they kept us aware. We fulfilled your requests; we fulfilled your personal requests regarding the supply of materials.
[Police representative in a suit:] Were they my personal requests?
[Bearded man in blue sweater]: Yes, you personal ones.
[Police representative in a suit:] Do you have those requests?
[Bearded man in blue sweater]: See, if you start denying it now, we will not be able to have a conversation. You have documents in your possession. They were taken by Aloyan and Shishkov. Why are you trying somehow to be cunning and lie? You can bring these documents here and see your own signature. If you don’t want to talk, let’s not talk.
[Police representative in a suit, interrupting the bearded man in blue sweater:] Where, to whom, for whom?
[Bearded man in blue sweater (getting increasingly agitated):] You know all of this perfectly well. At this moment you have the documents in your possession. And you’re trying to convince me that they do not exist and your signature…
[Police representative in a suit, interrupting the bearded man in blue sweater:] I don’t… Who is going to be the next one to talk?
[Cut]
[Episode 2]
[Man reads address to the government of Sakha (Yakutia):] We, the representatives of the nations of the North, and of the Christians of Evangelical Faith address the government of Sakha – Yakutia and her people that we forgive all the debts, and all insults, and all the evil and the deaths of our brothers.
[Cut]
[Episode 3]
[Scenes of people being dragged and shoved near a staircase, screams heard]
[Episode 4]
[Scene of arrested people with signs of injuries on their faces seated on a bus (The same scene is shown as a video clip insert earlier in this presentation, as indicated at the bottom of p.1 of this transcript.)]
[Episode 5]
[Scenes of people being pushed and restrained on the ground covered with snow.]
[Episode 6]
[Police representative in a suit, the same one as in Episode 1:] I am going to make a directive. There are going to be many expenses in connection with their feeding, possibly – with their transportation, and first of all, in connection with the work of our law enforcement structures. There’s plenty they need to do now: to do the paperwork, to drive around, to do the investigation.
This money – yes – I think it was indeed earned by them, but in the situation that came about it will be spent to complete all the proceedings.
[Cut]
[End of video clip insert]
[Boris Perchatkin presentation, continued]
Of course the issue of the Aldan community is a unique one: it was a lesson, a signal given by the authorities to us as far as what rights we have right now. Whereas before we had no rights whatsoever, Pentecostals and other denominations were outright outlawed, now it seems, they are not outlawed, but why is this happening?
It’s a wild thing: the head of the administration, Litvinenkov, who started this whole thing – it was started at his initiative, who recruited to his side the government, the TV, and even human rights organizations, shows in front of everyone’s eyes the money that this community made. -- The matter is that this community was left without money, without any means for existance. – They came to their employers: “We worked for the whole year. We have familes. Pay us the money.” And they were not paid until they arrived. And after that, Litvineneko shows this money and says: “Yes, this money has been earned by them. But we are going to use them now so that the investigators could work, could do the paperwork, could [unclear word], so that they would be tried, so that they would be incarcerated…
Where did it happen, in what century, that a State would try and lead the investigation at the expense of those being investigated? [Where did it happen] that people would be arrested at the expense of their own money? This was in Russia. This happened literally seven years ago. Are you not beign surprised but what is happening? You could say: “Well, it was seven years ago. But now it seems things have changed. Now we have Putin – a good president.” But look at the footage from Liski. Where the situation was similar: people were beaten, just as these were beaten up, so were these other ones beaten, four years later.
[Video clip insert:]
[Opening credits:] Liski, Russia, 2004
[Scenes from a TV program; letters NTV appear in the lower left corner of the screen.]
[Episode 1]
[Film excerpts of quick succession of several scenes, including violent scenes depicting what looks like crucifixion of Jesus]
[Behind-the-scene narrative:] “This dangerous sect consisted of thirteen people. Their leader called for toppling the government system and created religious strife. They had organization, conspiracy and strict discipline. The priests and the governor declared a death sentence for their leader.” -- This is how the Gospel story appears if one describes it using the language of the Criminal Code and from the point of view of the Authorities.
[Episode 2]
[Scenes of people being pushed and dragged by police]
[Behind-the-scene narrative:] Today Golgotha itself comes to the sect members: the baptismal of fire in the Voronezh Pentecostal church. They wanted to help victims of drug addiction, but they themselves were offered as a sacrifice. The law enforcement guards are acting as guards of the original traditions.
[Scenes of people being pushed and dragged by police]
[Behind-the-scene narrative:] Pastor Andrey Bashmakov attempted to explain the situation from the perspective of the law by producing documents and pointing to the necessary seals. But all the efforts were futile.
After that the workers of the local utilities service started the dismantling of the children’s tent. Some of them were in the condition of alcohol inebriation.
[Voice of a man in the scene:] “See they dismantled our… [unclear] [noise] Look a drunk man and…”
[Behind-the-scene narrative:] The situation continued to escalate.
[Scene of men arguing, not all text is clear] …We are going to file all of this…
[Episode 3]
[Excerpt from an interview with Pastor Andrey Bashmakov:] Someone informed me that one rope has been already cut.
[Credits: Pastor Andrey Bashmakov] I came up and saw that a man in an inebriated condition, here, was just holding a knife in his hand, and was holding a cut rope. Of course I was somewhat agitated. I said: “What are you doing? There are people in the tent.” This was one of the main ropes. I realized that if there were some wind or something that pulled the tent, it could have fallen right at that moment. And in the tent there were children, that is, people…
[Episode 4]
[Behind-the-scene narrative:] After that, another man approached, wearing civilian dress. As it turned out later, he was a lieutenant colonel of police. He made an order. A forced ejection out of the tent began, as a result of which both adults and children suffered.
[Scenes of people being pushed out of the tent]
[Same clip as the one shown at the beginning of the presentation, as appears on top of page 1 of this transcript: people being dragged and pushed violently; screams and noises heard]
[Excerpt from an interview with Pastor Andrey Bashmakov, voice behind the scene:] Twice they knocked me off my feet, attempted to suffocate me, but thank God that the Lord has saved me. [Excerpt from an interview with Pastor Andrey Bashmakov, continued:] Although, at that moment it really seemed that they could even suffocate me.
[Scenes of people being pushed out of the tent]
[Episode 5]
[Excerpt from an interview with a woman:] [Credits: Svetlana] First of all, these people in civilian clothes threw themselves at Andrey Bashmakov, our pastor. When I saw it, it was something terrible. First of all, he has many children… And this, that they were somehow beating him… I jumped in right there, in the middle, where they were already beating him, suffocating him, and in general it was some terrible thing going on…
[Scenes of people being violently pushed and beaten; loud screams heard]
[Excerpt from an interview with a young girl:] [Credits: Lida] When I saw that policemen were beating my father I ran to him. One of the policemen pulled me in a very severe and painful way.
[Scenes of people being violently pushed and beaten; loud screams heard]
[Episode 6]
[Interview with Pastor Grigiriy Protsenko:]
[Interview behind the scene:] They had very embittered looks. They were so embittered; they were pulling, tearing grabbing… When the grabbed me [Cut to the man giving an interview:] [Credits: Pastor Grigiriy Protsenko] I also asked the detective: “Why do they sue me?” They opened a criminal case against me. “You did not obey – you did not come out of the tent.” But I was taken behind the tent, I was seized behind the tent, I was beaten behind the tent, I was dragged on the ground behind the tent… Here… I even lost my consciousness there…
[Scene of Grigoriy Protsenko falling on the ground while being held by two police officers]
[Episode 7]
[Scenes of people being pushed into a truck]
[Behind-the-scene narrative:] Nine participants of the charity concert, which never took place, were forcibly put in a truck and driven to the police station. There they were unlawfully detained for over six hours, while being cruelly beaten.
The victims attempted to turn to the Liski hospital, but there they were refused help.
[Scene of Andrey Bashmakov and Grigiriy Protsenko talking to a woman in white coat]
[Andrey Bashmakov:] We were told to come here by the prosecutor’s office. There are four guys who suffered abrasions and contusions.
[Woman in white coat:] First ten people came from the police, and now you came. You got into a squabble over something and we need to sit and look at your bruises. Don’t I have anything better to do?
[Scene of a man being carried and then seated by two other men]
[Man who was previously shown being carried:] They were engaged in illegal violence…
[Interviewer, behind the scene:] In which spots did they beat you?
[Man who was previously shown being carried:] They beat me on the head, on my kidneys…They threw me down. I ducked, and they beat me here, and here, and on my knees…
[Addressing another man:] And where did they beat you?
[Young man with a visible injury to his left eye area:] They beat me with a kick.
[Another man, commenting:] They beat him when he was still there… the whole shoulder…
[Young man with a visible injury to his left eye area:] They beat me on my kidneys; they beat me on my behind…
[End of video clip insert]
[Boris Perchatkin presentation, continued:]
An identical case… But here there was a unique matter: when these beaten people came to the hospital, they were refused help; they were refused their basic human rights. They were refused medical help. First they were beaten for trying to help the State – for trying to help fight the drugs. Then it ends in complete craziness: they are being arrested; criminal cases are opened against them.
You could say, again, that this was back in 2004. But this kind of thing is happening today as well. However, if you attempt to interview people today, if you ask them: “Give us information,” -- they are afraid and point out that there was Aldan, there was Liski, there were other places. “They burned churches, they blew up churches… Tomorrow it will happen to us… Maybe if we keep silent they will not touch us…”
But tomorrow an even worse situation can appear. So let us do something that this does not happen again. Enough sleeping. Enough looking at all this and saying: “Maybe it will be better. Maybe Putin will improve himself. Maybe someone else will correct himself. After all the democracy is working in the line of ascent.” But we see that today even if there is democracy, it is working in the line of descent. We are coming to the previous times.
[Video clip insert:]
[Opening credits: Report of Boris Perchatkin at the U.S. Department of State]
[Episode 1]
[Scene: men seated at the table:]
[Man in gray suit talks in English:] This room actually contains volumes that were in the original library of Thomas Jefferson.
[Voice in Russian:] This library contains some original volumes from the personal library of Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States.
[Man in gray suit talks in English:] He was the first Secretary of State, I believe, before he was President.
[Voice in Russian:] It turns out he was the first Secretary of State, before he became President.
[Man in blue shirt talks in English:] I have been working for the State Department for four months.
[Voice in Russian:] I have been working for the State Department just for four months.
[Man in blue shirt talks in English:] But I have been asked to help David and we have a new focus on the country.
[Voice in Russian:] I have been asked to help David and we will focus again on this country.
[Boris Perchatkin, seated at the table:] I was in Russia in October and November and my goal was to visit communities where there were persecutions, where I knew for fact that there were persecutions. This necessity arouse because currently in Russia – and this is not only my opinion, but also the opinion of those who live there and lead the communities of Protestants – they are using a new method, a method of the momentum of fear. I will show it and I will talk about it.
Here is a statement by the community for the president Putin. Some fragments have been translated.
[Man seated at the head of the table talks in English”] some parts have been translated.
[Cut]
[Boris Perchatkin:] And here’s a description from a deacon – he came out of prison.
[Man seated at the head of the table talks in English:] A deacon was released from prison
[Boris Perchatkin:] He had spent five years in prison.
[Boris Perchatkin, seated at the table, continues:] “They beat us, they broke our ribs, they knocked out all of our teeth…” [Cut] Then they took them undressed, with bare feet and had them walk in the freezing cold. Before they started the investigation, they were trying to break them in this way. And they are comparing here to what they had seen in movies, how the Nazis were taking naked and barefooted Jews to execution.
[Episode 2]
[Boris Perchatkin, seated at the table:] This church… In the Vornezh region there is a city of Liski. Through there goes the path of drug trafficking. They decided to do a campaign called: “You are not a circus for drugs.”
They get the permission, the permission from all the officials, to hold this event, for a fee. They have been saying “ There is democracy, there they are preaching, there Evangelists are coming from America and preaching… And then suddenly in this Liski they take people, repress them, beat them, maim them, and then open criminal cases.
What is the most important thing here? In my opinion – I have expressed this idea before and many people agree with me – that we, Protestants, and not only Protestants, have missed the time when it was possible, at the beginning of the 90’s to make a spiritual expansion in Russia.
[Cut]
[Closing credits:]
The program was narrated and prepared by
Boris Perchatkin,
Expert on the matters of freedom of religion
On the territory of the former USSR
Video materials have been filmed:
Aldan – by the local media
Liski – by the church leaders of the local church
Copyright 2007
[End of Transcript]
Copyright by Anna Steingart, Translator
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