Assassination of Russia
Encyclopedia
Assassination of Russia is a 2002 documentary film that describes the September 1999 Russian apartment bombings
as a terrorism act committed by Russian state security services.
The film was created in 2001 by French producers Jean-Charles Deniau and Charles Gazelle. Yuri Felshtinsky and Alexander Litvinenko
worked as consultants for the film; the film was made on the basis of their book Blowing Up Russia: Terror from Within
.
The French producers initially worked for Russian TV company NTV to expand their program "Sugar of Ryazan" and later to TV-6. When TV-6 channel was closed by Russian authorities, the film was 70% completed. The remained of funds was provided by Boris Berezovsky.
Leader of party Liberal Russia, Sergei Yushenkov
flew to the premier on March 5, 2002 in London, to announce that his party is going to distribute copies of the film around the country to demonstrate "how the secret services deceived Russian citizens".
This film was broadcast by the main TV channels of Estonia
, Latvia
, and Lithuania
. Russian Deputy
Yuli Rybakov brought a hundred copies to St. Petersburg, but the copies were confiscated at customs in violation of his parliamentary immunity
. No TV station in Russia was able to show the film. Tens of thousands of copies were sold in Russia in 2002. Sergei Yushenkov presented the film at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
in 2002, decrying lack of civilian control over the Russian armed forces including the secret services. A staffer in Senate Foreign Relations Committee said, "We just cannot go out and say that the president of Russia is a mass murderer. But it is important that we know it."
Russian apartment bombings
The Russian apartment bombings were a series of explosions that hit four apartment blocks in the Russian cities of Buynaksk, Moscow, and Volgodonsk in September 1999, killing 293 people and injuring 651. The explosions occurred in Buynaksk on 4 September, Moscow on 9 and 13 September, and...
as a terrorism act committed by Russian state security services.
The film was created in 2001 by French producers Jean-Charles Deniau and Charles Gazelle. Yuri Felshtinsky and Alexander Litvinenko
Alexander Litvinenko
Alexander Valterovich Litvinenko was an officer who served in the Soviet KGB and its Russian successor, the Federal Security Service ....
worked as consultants for the film; the film was made on the basis of their book Blowing Up Russia: Terror from Within
Blowing up Russia: Terror from within
Blowing Up Russia: Terror from Within is a book written by Alexander Litvinenko and Yuri Felshtinsky. The authors alleged that the Russian apartment bombings and other September 1999 terrorist acts were committed by the Federal Security Service...
.
The French producers initially worked for Russian TV company NTV to expand their program "Sugar of Ryazan" and later to TV-6. When TV-6 channel was closed by Russian authorities, the film was 70% completed. The remained of funds was provided by Boris Berezovsky.
Leader of party Liberal Russia, Sergei Yushenkov
Sergei Yushenkov
Sergei Yushenkov was a liberal Russian politician well known for his uncompromising struggle for democracy, rapid free market economic reforms, and higher human rights standards in Russia...
flew to the premier on March 5, 2002 in London, to announce that his party is going to distribute copies of the film around the country to demonstrate "how the secret services deceived Russian citizens".
This film was broadcast by the main TV channels of Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, and Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
. Russian Deputy
State Duma
The State Duma , common abbreviation: Госду́ма ) in the Russian Federation is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia , the upper house being the Federation Council of Russia. The Duma headquarters is located in central Moscow, a few steps from Manege Square. Its members are referred to...
Yuli Rybakov brought a hundred copies to St. Petersburg, but the copies were confiscated at customs in violation of his parliamentary immunity
Parliamentary immunity
Parliamentary immunity, also known as legislative immunity, is a system in which members of the parliament or legislature are granted partial immunity from prosecution. Before prosecuting, it is necessary that the immunity be removed, usually by a superior court of justice or by the parliament itself...
. No TV station in Russia was able to show the film. Tens of thousands of copies were sold in Russia in 2002. Sergei Yushenkov presented the film at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars , located in Washington, D.C., is a United States Presidential Memorial that was established as part of the Smithsonian Institution by an act of Congress in 1968...
in 2002, decrying lack of civilian control over the Russian armed forces including the secret services. A staffer in Senate Foreign Relations Committee said, "We just cannot go out and say that the president of Russia is a mass murderer. But it is important that we know it."