Kevin Lik, now 19, is the youngest person in modern Russian history to have been convicted of treason. A dubious honor, at best.

Kevin was born in Montabaur, Germany, to a Russian mother (Victoria) and a German father. The marriage eventually dissolved, but Kevin and his mother remained in Germany, visiting friends and family in Russia every couple of years. Finally, in 2017, Victoria’s homesickness won out, and they moved back to her home town of Maykop in the North Caucasus region of Russia. Kevin was 12.

Kevin was an excellent student, and won national and local academic competitions, including a national German language contest and others in history and biology. They lived in the countryside, and he enjoyed taking walks around the area.

As the years passed, Kevin became more interested in politics, and was known occasionally to express his opinion at school. Both he and his mother were aware of the increasing restrictions and dangers of the Putin regime, and the decision was made to move back to Germany. By this time, Russia had invaded Ukraine, and in order to leave the country permanently, Kevin’s name had to be removed from the military register. Victoria was “invited” to sort out the paperwork at the local enlistment office, but when she arrived she was met by the police, accused of “swearing in public,” and sentenced to ten days’ detention.

That left Kevin alone at home. He stopped going to school and rarely left the house, but when he did, he returned to find that “things had been moved around.” [Sergei Goryashko, BBC Russian, August 19, 2024.]

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When Victoria was released, she and Kevin tried to leave the country for Germany by way of the southern city of Sochi, which has an international airport. But they were obviously under surveillance, because Kevin noticed a man in a hoodie and mask photographing them on his phone. Almost immediately, a minibus pulled up.

“Eight or nine FSB officers jumped out,” Kevin says. “One grabbed me by the arm. Another came up, showed his ID, and said: ‘A criminal case has been opened against you under article 275: treason.’ My eyes were wide with shock.”

In a bizarre twist, Kevin and Victoria were taken to a pizzeria, where their captors actually ordered pizza and offered them some. They were then returned home in the middle of the night, where they were shown a video the FSB officers had made while they searched the apartment. One of the items they found was a broken telescope, which they said he must have used to photograph military vehicles from his window to send to German intelligence. They took his phone and laptop, and found pictures of the nearby military base.

And that was all they needed. He was arrested, and assigned a lawyer who recommended he sign a confession to make things easier. He was afraid they would also start pressuring his mother, and didn’t know what else to do. Because he was a minor, he was taken to a special facility in Krasnodar and placed in solitary confinement. A few months later, he turned 18 and was moved to a different prison where he was placed in the general population.

That was when things went from bad to worse. He was beaten by a group of inmates. “They tied my hands, beat me, and even put out a cigarette on me. They hit me so hard in the chest I couldn’t breathe.” [Id.]

Throughout this time, the investigation continued. A former teacher testified against him concerning a question he had once asked her during an academic competition in Moscow. Analysis of the photos he had taken in Sochi concluded they didn’t constitute a state secret, but that they could have been harmful to Russia if they had fallen into foreign hands.

His FSB file included details of his childhood trips to Russia with his mother, as far back as when he was two years old. He later learned that his phone had been tapped since 2021.

After ten months, in late December 2023, he was tried, found guilty of treason, and sentenced to four years in a penal colony in Arkhangelsk (Archangel) — a journey that took a month, via several other prisons. He passed the time by reading and studying until, on July 23rd, he was told by a prison officer that he had 20 minutes to “urgently write a petition” for a presidential pardon, which he did.

On July 28th, he was told to bring his toothbrush, toothpaste and slippers, which he took to mean he was being sent to a punishment cell. But he was locked in an office until 1:00 a.m. on the 29th, when a convoy came to take him away.

He said the thought of a possible exchange entered his mind, though nothing of the sort was indicated to him. He was flown to Moscow, kept in jail until August 1st, and then finally put on a plane with the other prisoners being swapped. The transfer was made in Turkey, and he was finally flown to Germany, where he was reunited with Victoria.

All of this despite the fact that he had done absolutely nothing wrong.

I’ve said it before, but I believe it bears repeating: In Russia today, under the reign of Vladimir Putin, there is no concept of justice or rule of law. After finishing the 20th Century in a burst of newfound freedom and hope for the future of their country, the Russian people have found themselves once more sliding into the morass of totalitarianism. It is not only a tragedy for the citizens of Russia, but also a terrifying danger to the peoples of the surrounding nations who once lived under the yoke of communist rule, and fear it may again be inching toward them. It must be stopped.

*. *. *

Now living in Germany with his mother, Kevin is happily finishing school. When asked for his feelings about his experience, he replies:

“I don’t have a desire for revenge, but I do have a very strong desire to participate in opposition activities.” [Id.]

I must say . . . he’s far more forgiving than I would be under the circumstances.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/22/24