How My Friend, Vlad Kolesnikov, Was Driven To His Death In Putin's Russia after Months of Bullying

[uhnope]

Two articles on this

http://www.rferl.org/content/how-my-friend-vlad-kolesnikov-was-driven-to-death-in-putin-russia/27451872.html

He seemed desperate and wanted to talk to me about his life. We chatted on Telegram, often several times a day. Most of the time, I just listened.

Vlad asked me to tell his story if anything happened to him. He wanted the world to know about the persecution, the violence, and the crushing isolation that can befall anyone in Russia deemed to be different.

This was his dying wish.

http://readrussia.com/2016/01/02/russian-political-activist-commits-suicide-after-months-of-bullying/

Kolesnikov had taken a principled stand against his government’s actions in Ukraine, both the annexation of Crimea and its involvement in the Donbas, and he made everyone around him aware of that fact. In return he was ostracized, harassed, and hounded by classmates, police, and even members of his own family. His own grandfather kicked him out of his house and castigated him in an interview with the press. Those who should have protected him in exercising his right to free expression, supposedly enshrined in the Russian constitution, did not merely fail him but actively betrayed him.

[Ferretherder]

1. Coming to a country near you!...

...possibly the one you are in!


I have to try to laugh, to keep from crying.