The news about 2 Russian diplomats, who were expelled from Germany on the eve of Normandy format meeting because of alleged involvement of Russian intelligence in murder of Georgian citizen Zelimhan Hangoshvili in Berlin, became instant sensation. Angela Merkel made statement that Germany undertook that decision after repeated refusals of Russia to cooperate in relation to rthe investigation of this resonant murder.
Hangoshvili was fatally shot on Aug.23, in Kleiner Tirgarten, not far from government quarter Moabit. The killer shot him twice in the head and was arrested while trying to escape from the crime scene. Later it was told that arrested accused on murder charges Vadim Krasikov is Russian, former military servant of elite unit of FSB “Vympel”.
The statement about the expel of Russian diplomats was made straight before the Normandy format meeting of French, Russian German, Ukrainian leaders. And Putin did not miss the opportunity to reply A.Merkel. But the most shocking about that is the way he replied. In particular, cynicism and even tryout to justify such actions are outrageous: “He was not just Georgian man, he was the man who took part in war actions on the side of separatists in Caucasia. He is not Georgian by his ethnic background. He was wanted by our enforcement bodies. He was militant, very cruel and bloody person. Only one of his attacks took life of 98 persons. He organized terror attacks in Moscow underground”.
Everyone knows that in democratic and law-based state guilty person is the one, who is found guilty by the court. However, Russia has never been democratic and law-based state, therefore Russian leader considers such statements as acceptable ones. It is quite significant that Russian enforcement bodies never asked Germany for extradition of Hangoshvili, he was never found guilty in the crimes Putin has accused him publicly. In fact Russian president was the first who told about mythical crimes of the murdered person.
It is absolutely reprehensible that Russian president justifies the actions of killer and mediately recognizes the involvement of Russian intelligence in the murders of political opponents. It is well known that Hangoshvili was not the first victim in the long list of killed persons, who were undesirable for Kremlin. Abdulwahid Eldgeriev was killed in 2015, Amina Okueva was killed in 2017, Sergey Skrypal was poisoned in 2018. Now we have the murder of Hangoshvili in the center of European capital.
Unfortunately, we have to state that Kremlin does not react on the demands of European leaders to stop political terror and practice of termination of political opponents on the territory of other countries.
The diplomacy of deep concern and admonitions does not influence on Russian leader, he continues to strike essentials hits on European security system. In this regard, there is one solid question: how can we fight international terrorism together with person, who do not reject usage of such methods, even on the territory of other countries?
