The Russian journalist Arkady Babtschenko, who was declared dead on Tuesday, is alive. The 41-year-old appeared intact in Kiev at a press conference of Ukrainian Secret Service SBU. Secret Service chief Vasily Grizak said that y had faked Babtschenkos death toger. The aim was to set a trap for those who would have wanted to kill Babtschenko.
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The staging was part of an operation prepared over months to thwart an actual planned attack on Babtschenko: “We have prevented an assassination attempt on Babtschenko with a special mission.” Russian special forces ordered death of reporter in Kiev, said Grizak. An order killer was hired for this, which was promised by masterminds 30,000 US dollars. There were 10,000 dollars for a middleman, said Grizak. The alleged organiser was detained and heard.
Apologies to his wife
At beginning of press conference, Grizak had first said that Ukrainian Secret Service and police had solved mystery of murder. Then he asked Babtschenko in room. With applause, 41-year-old apologized to friends and family members who had grieved for him and had not been privy to plan. “I’m still alive,” he said. His wife, too, asked for forgiveness “for all hell she had to go through.”
He was inaugurated in plans about a month ago, Babtschenko said. “This month I’ve seen how guys work, how eager y are. The whole month we were in contact, we thought, worked, traded. And result was this special bet. “
On Tuesday, Ukrainian police reported that former war reporter had been shot in Kiev. His wife had heard gunshots and found her husband bleeding lying on floor in her house. She called ambulance. Babtschenko had died on way to hospital, authorities had informed.
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The Ukrainian government had blamed Moscow for alleged death, which Russia had rejected. After news that Babtschenko was not dead, Russia criticized case as a propaganda campaign. The spokeswoman of Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Sakharova, wrote on Facebook, “that Babtschenko lives is best news”. The Kremlin rejected an opinion first.
RSF expresses its deepest indignation after discovering manipulation of Ukrainian secret services, this new step of a war of information. It is always very dangerous for a government to play with facts, especially using journalists for ir fake stories. Https://t.co/XwwbepYsjc
— Christophe Deloire (@chrisdeloire) May 30, 2018
Even organization Reporters Without Borders showed no understanding of action of Ukrainian authorities despite joy of Babtschenkos health. The general secretary of Organization, Christophe Deloire, wrote that staging of Secret Service was a “new step in Information warfare”. It is always very dangerous for a government to play with truth, especially if it is used by journalists.
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Similarly, Russian investigative journalist Andrej Soldatow commented: “I am glad that he lives, but he has inflicted furr damage on credibility of journalists and media.” The editor-in-chief of Russian newspaper Moskowski Komsolez, Pavel Goosev, said that “This is not just a provocation against Russia. That is also a provocation Babtschenkos against whole journalist Guild “.
The message about Babtschenkos assassination had caused international consternation. The federal government was “horrified and shaken”. Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was convinced that Babschenko had been killed because of his public political positions.
Babtschenko had fought in Chechen wars in 1990s and early 2000s, before he became a war reporter. In Moscow he had worked for opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta and liberal radio station Moscow Echo. At beginning of 2017, he left his homeland after receiving threats and fear of being taken into custody. He first moved to Prague and settled in Ukrainian capital Kiev. Lastly, he worked as a moderator for Crimean Tatar private channel ATR.
