They may look as snug as the proverbial two peas in a pod (if you’ll pardon the mixing of the metaphors) . . .

But lyricist Dorothy Fields might easily have been thinking of this couple when she wrote the words to Jerome Kern’s music nearly a hundred years ago:

“A fine romance, with no kisses
A fine romance, my friend, this is
We should be like a couple of hot tomatoes
But you’re as cold as yesterday’s mashed potatoes
A fine romance, you won’t nestle
A fine romance, you won’t wrestle
I might as well play bridge with my old maid aunts
I haven’t got a chance
This is a fine romance.”
– Dorothy Fields & Jerome Kern – 1936

Because neither of these two . . . well, never mind the descriptors . . . neither of them can be trusted any farther than I could toss them. But they are two of a kind, and so they seem to have forged some sort of friendship — or at least an alliance of political convenience. And this is why I find myself wondering about the story behind the story in a case that has all the earmarks of a Putin-inspired scheme.

*. *. *

His name is Rico Krieger. He is a German citizen, aged 29, an emergency medical technician who worked for the German Red Cross and as an armed security officer for the U.S. Embassy in Berlin. And now he stands sentenced to death in Belarus, convicted under six counts of that country’s Criminal Code:

– “mercenary activity”
– “agent activity”
– “act of terrorism”
– “creation of an extremist formation”
– “intentional disrepair of a vehicle or communication lines”
– “illegal actions in relation to firearms, ammunition and explosives”

Viasna, a Belarusian human rights group, also reported that he had been found guilty of “arranging an explosion in order to influence decision-making by authorities, intimidate the population, [and] destabilize public order.” There has been no clarification as to the background of the alleged crimes, when they are supposed to have occurred, or what supporting evidence was presented against Mr. Krieger. [Eve Brennan, Svitlana Vlasova and Inke Kappeler, CNN, July 20, 2024.]

But he has been declared guilty, and sentenced to death.

Death. Not 15, or 20, or even 25 years in prison, as in the most severe cases of alleged espionage brought against foreigners (mostly American) in Russia. But the ultimate penalty, from which there is no return. It was Mr. Krieger’s great misfortune to have been arrested in the only country in Europe that continues to allow the death penalty. The method is a single shot to the back of the head.

Calling the death penalty a “cruel and inhumane form of punishment that Germany rejects under all circumstances,” a spokesperson from the German Foreign Office told CNN: “The Federal Foreign Office and the Embassy in Minsk are providing consular support to the individual concerned and are working intensively on his behalf with the Belarusian authorities.” [CNN, id.]

The Belarusian Foreign Ministry’s spokesman, Anatoly Glaz, said in a statement on X that Minsk has “proposed a number of options [to Germany] for the development of the situation. There have been contacts with the German side on this topic, of course. This criminal is a German citizen and we understand the German side’s concern for him . . . Consultations on this topic are being held by the foreign ministries of the two countries.” [Id.]

*. *. *

So why do I think this smells like a setup leading to an eventual prisoner swap? And why with Germany? Are there any Belarusians currently being held in German prisons that might be wanted back home?

Probably not . . . or none that I’ve been able to find mention of. But wouldn’t Lukashenko’s friend and mentor, Vladimir Putin, be beholden to Lukashenko if he were to succeed in engineering the release of a certain Russian FSB Colonel, Vadim Krasikov, from the German prison where he is serving a life sentence for the brazen daytime assassination in Berlin of Chechen dissident Zelimkhan Khangoshvili in 2019 — a killing-for-hire laid directly at the doorstep of the aforesaid Mr. Putin?

You bet he would! Because Putin has been hinting — and none too subtly — that the return of Krasikov might even be worth an exchange for none other than American journalist Evan Gershkovich . . . and possibly even former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan.

The problem has been that swapping an American (or two) for a Russian prisoner being held in a third country — in this case, Germany — is complicated. What does that third country stand to gain for its largesse? A gold star for being the good guys, sure. But we’re talking international politics here, and it’s just not that simple.

So maybe the answer was easier than anyone — anyone but Aleksandr Lukashenko, that is — had imagined. Just snatch a German citizen, and . . . voila! Problem solved.

Or perhaps it was Putin’s idea in the first place.

And there is yet another possibility: I might be over-thinking the whole thing. It’s certainly been known to happen. But I’ve always gone with my gut, and over the years, my gut has seldom let me down.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/22/24

I really need to establish a cut-off time for searching the headlines — made the mistake of taking another look a little while ago, and had to add two more to the to-do list:

– Viktor Orban and the Habsburg Empire.
– What is BRICS, and why should we be worried about it?
– Putin and the Houthis — and why we’re already worried about them.
– Europe reinstating the draft: Cold War, Part Deux?
– German citizen convicted of terrorism in Belarus, sentenced to DEATH.

Because just when you think it can’t get any worse . . .

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/21/24

It’s been a busy week, and the topics just keep splashing themselves irresistibly across the daily headlines. In no particular order, since they’re of equal importance, I’m already working on:

– Viktor Orban and the Habsburg Empire.
– What is BRICS, and why should we be worried about it?
– Putin and the Houthis — and why we’re already worried about them.

And we’re just heading into a new week, presumably with more to come. I’m so glad I don’t get bogged down in the subject of U.S. politics — there wouldn’t be enough memory in my iPad.

Stay tuned, folks . . . there’s always news.

Brendochka
7/21/24

Sunday, and another American has been sentenced to 13 years in a penal colony in Russia . . . though this one is a criminal case, once again arising from alleged drug violations. The prisoner is Travis Leake, a musician and musical producer fronting for Russian band Lovi Noch (“Catch the Night”), who was initially arrested in June of 2023.

Charged with — and now convicted of — drug smuggling, the former U.S. paratrooper pled not guilty, saying, “I don’t understand why I’m here. I don’t admit guilt, I don’t believe I could have done what I’m accused of because I don’t know what I’m accused of.” [Sergey Gudkov, CNN, July 18, 2024.]

Though his case is not seemingly politically-motivated, Leake now becomes yet another piece of merchandise in Russia’s growing assemblage of assets to be used in its ongoing “trade war” with the United States — the commodity being human lives.

*. *. *

The update, of course, is the conviction of Evan Gershkovich on bogus charges of espionage, and the court’s sentence of 16 years (the prosecution had asked for 18) to be served in an as-yet-unnamed prison. No surprise here, though it still feels like being gut-punched.

*. *. *

And the wait for information about Vladimir Kara-Murza drags on. It has been 17 days since his July 4th transfer from his punishment cell at IK-6 penal colony to the prison hospital, under secretive and mysterious circumstances. And nearly a week since there has been any word from prison officials or Kara-Murza’s attorneys as to his condition, or even his whereabouts. To say that the situation is intolerable would be a gross understatement. The memory of Alexei Navalny is too recent, too painful . . . and too similar.

*. *. *

There are others, of course. But the one who has been held HOSTAGE the longest — just over five and one-half years — is former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan. Arrested on charges of espionage on December 28, 2018 (Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Paul), he was not sentenced until June of 2020. He is now one-third of the way through his 16-year sentence, and is more than deserving of recognition as the most patient of the Americans on this list . . . and of a spot at the top of the “swap list.” Hang in there, Paul; your day will come.

*. *. *

And, as always, we pay our weekly tribute to all those HOSTAGES locked away in Russian prisons for strictly political reasons:

Vladimir Kara-Murza
Evan Gershkovich
Alsu Kurmasheva
Paul Whelan
Ilya Yashin
Staff Sgt. Gordon Black
Robert Woodland Romanov
Boris Akunin
Marc Hilliard Fogel
Asya Kazantseva
Ilya Barabanov
Aleksandr Skobov
Antonina Favorskaya
Oleg Orlov
Boris Kagarlitsky
Oleg Navalny
Ksenia Karelina
Ksenia Fadeyeva
Lilia Chanysheva
Vadim Ostanin
Sergei Udaltsov
Danuta Perednya
Olesya Krivtsova
Konstantin Gabov
Sergey Karelin
Sergey Mingazov
Michael Travis Leake

. . . and the hundreds of others whose names remain unknown to me. You have not been, and will not be, forgotten.

Brendochka
7/21/24

My favorite Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov — well, actually the only Kremlin spokesman we ever hear from — delivered some very un-funny news yesterday in reference to a Russian military delegation presently in North Korea, reportedly for the purpose of “implementing agreements reached during President Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to Pyongyang.” [Reuters, July 19, 2024.]

So why are you smiling, Dima, you big putz? You think plotting the end of civilization is a joke? Do you??!!!

Well, he didn’t actually refer to the end of the world . . . not in so many words. But in June, Russia and North Korea did sign a “comprehensive strategic partnership” pact including a provision for “mutual defense in case of aggression against one of the countries.” And this is what Dmitry had to say about that yesterday:

“Work is underway, including in implementing the agreements reached during President Putin’s recent official visit to Pyongyang. It was a rich, informative and productive visit, and now the two sides are working to implement the agreements that were reached. Our delegation’s trip occurred as part of those agreements.” [Reuters, id.]

All right, fine. “So the west has NATO. Why shouldn’t other countries have similar mutual defense pacts?” — I hear you ask.

Well, for starters, NATO isn’t threatening to blow up our globe if things don’t go their way. Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin have done just that from time to time.

Second, have we seen the other provisions of their pact? Is it really just a “you-cover-my-ass-I’ll-cover-yours” equivalent to NATO’s Article 5? What don’t we know?

Third, who will be monitoring the principals? NATO has 32 members; this agreement, it appears, has just two parties. What are the safeguards against overreaction?

And finally, there is the all-important trust factor. Can you honestly tell me that you believe either of these two best buddies would put the other’s interests — or anyone’s interests — before his own? Have they ever?

It’s not a question of whether they deserve backup; it’s a matter of who’s providing that backup. If Putin says he doesn’t like U.S. policy toward . . . oh, let’s say, the Houthi rebels in Yemen . . . what’s to stop Kim from going batshit and reaching for that red button to help out his friend? Or vice-versa?

And we all know what would happen next.

*. *. *

So, Dima, do you really find it amusing that these two aggressors, each with his finger on the nuclear button, have chosen one another as their defense partner?

You do realize that, in a worst-case scenario, they’d be signing your death sentence as well, don’t you?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/20/24

I’ve only been privileged to visit England once, and then I was limited to London. It was a five-day trip in April of 1990, for a conference that my law firm was co-sponsoring on doing business in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union — and I fell in love with the place. Most of my time was spent at the conference, of course; but there were still enough hours in the day, and evening, to manage a good bit of fun: seeing the sights, riding the Underground (or Tube, if you prefer), shopping, closing a disco in Piccadilly at 3 a.m., dodging the amorous advances of a portly, overbearing Soviet official . . .

Well, best to stop there. Suffice it to say, it was a memorable trip. I found London to be charming and civilized, and Londoners very much the same, except for the concierge in the Mayfair Hotel and one waiter in a restaurant, both of whom insisted upon correcting my American terminology. Even the food, contrary to what I had always heard, was quite good. And by some miracle, the weather held out for us as well. My only regret was that there wasn’t time to get outside of London; I never did see Oxford, or Stratford-on-Avon, or Stonehenge. Or any of those lovely little villages that are the locale of so much murder and mayhem on one of my favorite British TV shows: Midsomer Murders.

Aha! Do I hear people nodding in agreement? I thought I might. I still watch the re-runs, and I have to say, I did prefer Tom Barnaby to his cousin John. But I refuse to open the floor to a vote on who was the best Sergeant, because I thought each was wonderful in his own way, and I missed them all when they moved on. But what I loved most were the quirky villages and the . . . oh, what’s the best adjective here? . . . the bizarre characters. Those villages hid more psychopathic, sociopathic, murderous, bullying, polygamous, adulterous, fetishistic, incestuous, jealous, hateful, scheming, lying, covetous, simply miserable people within a few square kilometers than one would expect to find in the entire city of London.

What fun!

I believe the late Queen Elizabeth summed it up best when she met some of the cast members of what she said was her favorite TV show, and asked, “Tell me: is there anyone left alive in Midsomer?”

These were not simply one-and-done murder mysteries — every killer was a serial killer, often out of necessity, when he (or she) had to cover up one murder by then killing off a possible witness . . . or several. And the methods they devised to bump off those poor victims left one wondering about the sanity of the writers who dreamt up the concoctions. Such as:

– Shrink-wrapped, packaged in a shipping container of cookies, and shipped off to Denmark.
– Buried alive in wet concrete.
– Smacked in the head with various heavy, solid objects.
– Pushed off a roof.
– Scared to death by a fake ghost.
– Beheaded.
– Hung up on a meat hook alongside the fresh beef.
– Tied down and pelted with bottles of champagne launched by a conveniently handy catapult.

– Drowned in various liquids, some of them disgustingly viscous.
– Burnt to a crisp.
– Locked in a commercial freezer.
– Locked in a commercial clothes dryer.
– Locked in a room filled with gas fumes.
– Locked in an iron maiden.

– Garroted with piano wire, curtain pulls, or whatever was handy.
– Run through with a lance that happened to be sitting around.
– Poisoned with deadly mushrooms or little blue venomous frogs.
– And sometimes merely shot with a rifle, a shotgun, or a crossbow.

The British — particularly the aristocracy — seem inordinately fond of their antique weapons, don’t they?

*. *. *

And the characters themselves? With all of their manias, phobias, fetishes, and other psychological aberrations, they were beyond the imaginings of even a Dostoevsky or a Stephen King. There are too many to mention, but I do have a favorite pair: the Rainbirds. Featured in the very first season, they were a mother-and-son pair that would have made Sigmund Freud jump for joy. They met an unpleasant end — together, as they would have wanted it — but happily, the writers were able to bring them back from the dead in a later season. Well, not actually reincarnated, but cast as the nearly identical sister of the original Mrs. Rainbird and an equally obnoxious son, though not quite as evil.

If you have somehow missed this delightfully different series, I strongly recommend it. But be sure to begin at the beginning, with “The Killings at Badger’s Drift,” and say hello to the Rainbirds.

Yes, that’s the England I didn’t get to see . . . which is probably for the best. I was better off in the city, where my biggest worries were getting run over by a double-decker bus, or embarrassed to death by a very British concierge.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/20/24

Evan Gershkovich has been convicted of espionage and sentenced to a term of 16 years in a Russian prison. In addition, he was fined costs equivalent to $77 (U.S.), and certain of his personal belongings — including his iPhone and his notepad — were ordered destroyed. Not simply confiscated . . . destroyed.

Talk has now turned to the possibility of an exchange of Gershkovich for someone the Russians want released from a foreign prison: quite possibly Vadim Krasikov, presently serving a life sentence in Germany for the brazen daytime assassination of a Chechen emigre in Berlin.

And all of this is of the utmost importance. But we must not let it distract us from the equally urgent situations of others presently being held on false, purely political charges in Russian prisons:

– Vladimir Kara-Murza (British-Russian)
– Alsu Kurmasheva (American-Russian)
– Paul Whelan (American)
– Marc Hilliard Fogel (American)
– Staff Sgt. Gordon Black (American)
– Robert Woodland Romanov (American-Russian)

With the exception of U.K. citizen Vladimir Kara-Murza — whose situation is dire as he is kept incommunicado, in unknown physical condition, in the prison hospital at Prison Colony No. 7 in Omsk, Siberia — we hear little or nothing about the U.S. citizens being wrongfully imprisoned. And that silence is terrifying for them and their families at home.

Negotiations for exchanges may be underway for some or all of them, and if so, those talks are understandably not made public until they are concluded. But in the meantime, the prisoners and their loved ones live in a vacuum. There must be no letup in the pressure to bring them home.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/19/24

It was a foregone conclusion. In Russia, where the conviction rate is 99%, an acquittal would have been a miracle. The only surprise today is the speed at which the trial was concluded and the verdict announced.

Sentenced today to 16 years in prison, Gershkovich is now eligible for a possible prisoner exchange, according to statements earlier made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. How long that might take is anyone’s guess.

American Paul Whelan has been waiting for four years.

The physical condition of Vladimir Kara-Murza, a British-Russian citizen, continues to decline while he languishes in a prison hospital in Siberia.

Alsu Kurmasheva, a joint U.S.-Russian citizen, remains a hostage in their vast prison system.

And there are more.

It is time — no, it is past time — to bring them home!

Not just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/19/24

Reading the subtle signs, one almost dares to hope.

The trial of American journalist Evan Gershkovich — on specious charges of espionage — had been scheduled to resume in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in mid-August. But it was suddenly accelerated and rescheduled for yesterday, July 18th, reportedly at the request of Gershkovich’s attorneys.

In a legal system so heavily weighted against the accused — the conviction rate stands at 99% — this seems, to say the least, an odd turn of events. In addition, hints are now being given of behind-the-scenes negotiations proceeding toward a prisoner exchange in the foreseeable future.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday that the “special services” of Moscow and Washington are discussing such a possibility. Previous mentions of a trade included the caveat that there would have to be a verdict in Gershkovich’s case before any decision could be reached regarding a swap. One wonders, then, whether the sudden decision to move the trial date up by a month might have anything to do with ongoing negotiations. After all, the harsher the verdict against Gershkovich, the more valuable Russia’s bargaining chip would be.

Of course, wondering is all we can do at this point. The negotiations — if indeed they are proceeding — are kept at a level of secrecy very much the same as Gershkovich’s trial itself. At Yekaterinburg’s “Palace of Justice,” no one other than the active participants is allowed in the courtroom. The public was told that the defendant is present; however, members of the press were not even allowed to see him prior to the hearing, as they were at the first session last month. Counsel are prohibited from commenting on the proceedings. (I have no idea what would happen if someone were to violate that constraint, but thus far in this case, no one has.)

We have been told that closing arguments are to be delivered today, Friday, July 19th. There is no estimate given as to when the court’s verdict may be expected. So, again, the world waits.

When dealing with Russia — and especially with the Russian justice system — waiting can become a full-time occupation.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/19/24

The trial of Wall Street Journal’s Evan Gershkovich on bogus charges of espionage was scheduled to resume in mid-August. But the Russian court in Yekaterinburg granted his attorneys’ petition to move the hearing forward, and it will now take place today, July 18th. Taking into account the time difference (I am on the U.S. east coast), it has probably already begun.

The trial, as is customary in these cases, is being held behind closed doors. There is little chance that Evan Gershkovich will receive anything but a guilty verdict, and — barring a miracle — we will simply have to await word as to the length of his sentence.

And so the travesty that passes for law and justice in Russia continues. But so do our efforts to find a means to bring our hostages home.

To be continued . . .

Brendochka
7/18/24