On May 27, 2021, the Moscow authorities showed up at the apartment where 19-year-old Libertarian Party member Vsevolod Osipov lived with his mother. After searching the premises, they arrested Osipov for blocking the roads at a January 31 rally in support of opposition politician Alexey Navalny. At the police station, one officer looked familiar to Osipov. He soon realized the man had infiltrated the Libertarian Party and protested alongside him in January as an undercover agent and that the man now wanted him to do the same thing.
In 2019, when law student Ivan Chinarov invited his classmate Vsevolod Osipov to join Russias Libertarian Party (LPR), Osipov was thrilled. Hed been a fan of the party since his school days.
By his own admission, Osipov didnt manage to do much with the party when he first got involved. I just waited to get my membership and went to meetings, he said. But a rally in support of jailed opposition politician Alexey Navalny on January 31, 2021, was supposed to change things. He was even given a job to do: We [the LPR members] divided into groups, and I was put in charge of several people to keep track of, to make sure nobody wandered off.
He noticed one of his group members, a man named Roman Korkh, was strangely quiet. He just stood there and looked around, Osipov told Meduza. Soon, Korkh was arrested and taken away.
After the rally, and his fellow party leaders ran Korkhs number through a Telegram bot called Eye of God, which can check a persons contact information against information from a number of large data leaks. Roman Korkh turned out to be Roman Podboronov, an agent from Russias Center for Combating Extremism (Center E).
[He made] the same rookie mistakes officers always make: he was saved in peoples phones as Roman CPE, Roman Center E, and so on, said Konvey. Podboronov was promptly kicked out of the party.
Several months later, the authorities showed up at the homes of Libertarian Party members in cities throughout Russia.
A digest of Russias investigative reports and news analysis. If it matters, we summarize it.
I woke up at six in the morning, said Vsevolod Osipov, recounting the events of May 27. Mom opened the door, and a horde of police officers came in. They gave me the [search] order, sat me down in the kitchen, and told me to read it.
The police took his phone and his hard drive. After searching the apartment, they brought him to the Moscow Police's Main Investigation Department.
The investigators wanted to know when and why Osipov had joined the LPR and what he had done in the party. When Roman Podboronov appeared in the office, though, the questions became more specific and more aggressive: Did I block the roads? Did I run into riot police? Did I call for illegal activity?
Then the officers played a short video clip that showed Osipov and other LPR members dividing into groups about an hour before the January 31 protest rally. Osipov is certain that Roman Podboronov used a hidden camera to take the footage.
When Osipov left the investigators office to smoke a cigarette, Podboronov followed him. Youre a decent guy. Lets meet up and talk in a few days, he told Osipov. [Thats when] I realized I was being recruited, Osipov told Meduza.
In the days that followed, a terrified Osipov debated telling his fellow party members about the offer. Meanwhile, Ivan Chinarov told Meduza, the other libertarians noticed he was acting suspicious. [Roman Podboronov] told [one of the other libertarians interrogated by police] that Osipov had already told them everything. And there was one point where one of our guys saw Osipov unlock his phone and show it to the police [at the station], said Chinarov.
Chinarov also recalled asking Osipov whether he had pleaded the 51st article of the Russian Constitution, the right to remain silent. I didnt say anything about myself, Osipov told him. That wording was extremely strange, Chinarov said.
Because of his odd behavior, when a number of LPR members decided to leave Russia, Osipov wasnt invited.
On June 8, 2021, Osipov met with Roman Podboronov for the first time since his arrest. They met at a coffee shop, and Podboronov brought company: an FSB colonel named Andrey.
[The officers] told me they also opposed the regime, but that they just wanted to eliminate the extremist elements, Osipov said. [They said] there were decent guys who were joining United Russia and who were changing the system from within. They said it would be a collaboration.
Osipov claims he didnt believe them, but he did ask for three days to think about the offer. He wanted to talk to his fellow party members about what had happened but he was afraid to get in touch with them by phone.
On June 11, Osipov met with Podboronov and Andrey from the FSB once again. I said, No, guys, I wont do it. Just put me in jail.' But they started going through all of the downsides of my decision. They started talking about how theyd find someone from emigration who would definitely agree to cooperate. And that convinced me. I thought, its better for all of the libertarians to know that Im an agent than for a [real] agent to infiltrate them, said Osipov.
I decided make the sacrifice, said Osipov. [I wanted] to save my own skin, avoid setting anybody up, and, at the same time, beat the police at their own game.
Osipov signed an agreement to cooperate with the FSB right there in the coffee shop.
Osipov's first job was to collect information on Roman Yuneman, the 27-year-old founder of a political movement called Society.Future. Podbornov wanted Osipov to get a look at the inner workings of Yunemans State Duma campaign and figure out whether he was a radical politician or not, Osipov told Meduza.
Though Osipov was supported Yunemans movement privately, he knew that lying to protect the campaign would have dire consequences when he inevitably got caught. It was me or him, he told Meduza.
Signing up to volunteer was a breeze, and he soon began working. I gathered signatures, among other things, Osipov told Meduza. He said he planned to chat with Yuneman under the guise of an interview, but it didnt work out.
In late June, Podboronov sent Osipov the floor plan of the building where Yunemans team was based, asking him to mark the most interesting areas. According to Osipov, the Center E employees wanted to install listening devices. Osipov suggested the conference room and the administration area (The areas where Roman Yuneman himself didnt hang out, he said). He doesnt know whether the officers ended up installing the bugs.
According to Osipov, he worked on Yuneman for about a month and a half. I realized it was a test of my loyalty to them. Its a classic move in spy games: the first task is easy, doesnt particularly affect the officers work, and is something they could do themselves.
By early August, they had a new job for him. This one would be in Georgia, where most of the other LPR members had gone.
Osipov wasnt given specific instructions until a week before his flight out of Russia. Dont ask questions just figure things out through conversations. And try to cozy up to LPR chairman [Yaroslav] Konvey and [Free Russia foundation project manager Anton] Mikhalchuk, he said, summarizing his mission.
Thats when he decided to go for it. He bought a burner SIM card at a metro station, created a new Telegram account, and asked Ivan Chinarov to get in touch with him through a mutual acquaintance.
When Chinarov learned that Osipov was working for Center E, he wasnt surprised. Actually, I felt better, because it meant he wasnt [just a rat who wasnt going to confess], said Chinarov.
He suggested Osipov come to Armenia, where he was living, before going to Georgia. To justify the odd flight path to the authorities, Osipov told them that he had joined a secret Telegram chat with Libertarian Party leader Yaroslav Konvey, and that Konvey had told him to take that route. That was probably the scariest part of the whole recruitment, Osipov told Meduza.
But the authorities bought it. They gave him 214,000 rubles ($3,430) for expenses (he later asked for more and was given 300,000 rubles ($4,809)) and instructed him to return six weeks later, when they would give him a bigger task.
On October 27, Osipov flew to Yerevan. Several days later, he flew to Tbilisi. He stayed in touch with the authorities, telling them how he was becoming friendly with the people that interested them and gaining their trust.
He kept us apprised of all of the FSB and Center E conversations, and it was a useful partnership, said Ivan Chinarov. For example, it allowed us to warn the [other] guys [in Russia] about raids on their homes, not so they could leave their homes but so they could hide all of their equipment.
Unlike Chinarov, Libertarian Party leader Yaroslav Konvey was skeptical of Osipov, even after Osipov explained himself. How would an agent act if he thought he had been compromised? He would say, They recruited me, but now I want to redeem myself, but he would continue to leak information, said Konvey.
Osipov stopped responding to Podboronov and Andrey after Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine on February 24. If I thought I wasnt a great person before, now I just feel like a scumbag, he told Meduza. In early March, he said, he tried to join the international legion of Ukraines territorial defense force, but was rejected because of his Russian citizenship.
He told Meduza that he hid the phone he was using to communicate with Center E in a crowded public place and has begun using a new one. A month ago, when he last checked the old phone, Roman Podboronov was still trying to get in touch with him.
Osipovs mother is still in Russia. Every day, I wake up with the thought that theyve come to search Moms house, he admitted. Ive told her, Mom, dont you think you should come to Georgia? No, [she says.] Ive explained to her what the future might hold. But she said, I cant. If thats what happens, thats what happens.
Story by Kristina Safonova
Abridged translation by Sam Breazeale
Continue reading here:
- Opinion | 100 Days of Javier Milei - The New York Times - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. flirts with the Libertarian nomination - POLITICO - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- RFK Jr. in talks to run on the Libertarian Party ticket to ease ballot challenges - Washington Examiner - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- One Hundred Days of Libertarian Populism in Argentina - The American Conservative - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- Bylaws and Rules Committee and Platform Committee Survey (Part One) - Libertarian Party - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- When Will the Libertarian Party Have Its Moment? - Econlib - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- RFK Jr. in talks to run on the Libertarian Party ticket to ease ballot challenges - Colorado Springs Gazette - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- RFK Jr. aligned with the Libertarian Party on capitalism stance - NewsNation Now - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- RFK Jr. fuels talk of switching to the Libertarian Party - Fox News - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- RFK JR still flirting with Libertarian Party run? Third parties seek ballot access - The Hill - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- RFK Jr. sparks speculation of switch to Libertarian Party for greater ballot access - Washington Examiner - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Nate Silver: Libertarians Are the Real Liberals - Reason - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Even immigration is no free lunch - Washington Examiner - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Interview with NC Libertarian governor candidate Shannon Bray - Fox Carolina - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Libertarians Call for 'Food Freedom' in Response to Amos Miller Farm Search - Lancaster Farming - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Where Does the Term Libertarian Come From Anyway? | Jeffrey A. Tucker - Foundation for Economic Education - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Here are the 10 Libertarian candidates in the 2024 NC Presidential Primary - Fox Carolina - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- 2024 Presidential Primary Information: Ballots Have Other Races, See Where to Vote - Watertown News - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Argentina's libertarian President Milei warns parliament that he will govern 'with or without' political support - Le Monde - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Madison County Introduces First-Ever Libertarian Primary on Super Tuesday - BNN Breaking - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Musician and libertarian writer who works for 'The Blaze' arrested on Jan. 6 charges - NBC News - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- RFK Jr. says he didn't read Alabama IVF ruling, won't say when life begins - The Washington Post - February 26th, 2024 [February 26th, 2024]
- Argentina touts libertarian social justice to Blinken before Javier Milei visits CPAC - Washington Examiner - February 26th, 2024 [February 26th, 2024]
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Delicate Dance: Navigating Reproductive Rights and Libertarian Principles - BNN Breaking - February 26th, 2024 [February 26th, 2024]
- Javier Milei and the Spanish Tradition of Liberty - Quillette - February 26th, 2024 [February 26th, 2024]
- The Weekly Wrap: Poilievre proves hes more than a live-and-let-live libertarian - The Hub - February 26th, 2024 [February 26th, 2024]
- Why have authoritarianism and libertarianism merged? A political psychologist on 'the vulnerability of the modern self' - The Conversation - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Argentina's Javier Milei what are his plans and will they work? - MoneyWeek - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Tucker Carlson Issues Scathing Indictment of 'Libertarian Economics' - Reason - December 20th, 2023 [December 20th, 2023]
- Tucker Carlson: "Libertarian Economics Was A Scam Perpetrated By The Beneficiaries Of The Economic System" - RealClearPolitics - December 20th, 2023 [December 20th, 2023]
- A Legacy of Resistance to Unjust Taxation - Libertarian Party - December 20th, 2023 [December 20th, 2023]
- The Croatian Invasion of the Micronation of Liberland - Reason - October 9th, 2023 [October 9th, 2023]
- As RFK Jr. Readies an Announcement Monday, Speculation Is ... - The New York Sun - October 9th, 2023 [October 9th, 2023]
- The libertarian think tank that helped build the 'No' case - The Saturday Paper - October 9th, 2023 [October 9th, 2023]
- Fox Chapel Area voters will choose among two candidates for District 3 school board seat - Yahoo News - October 9th, 2023 [October 9th, 2023]
- Far-right party may hold keys to next Polish government, sets tone in talks with Ukraine - Yahoo News - October 9th, 2023 [October 9th, 2023]
- Aella: Is Porn Too Pervasive? - Reason - October 9th, 2023 [October 9th, 2023]
- Massie: McCarthy Speakership Showdown a 'Referendum' on ... - Reason - October 9th, 2023 [October 9th, 2023]
- ESPN's Pablo Torre explains how Harvard classmate Vivek Ramaswamy was 'That Guy' in school - Yahoo News - October 9th, 2023 [October 9th, 2023]
- DeFi has not followed through on its privacy promises yet - Blockworks - October 9th, 2023 [October 9th, 2023]
- At 50, 'The Machinery of Freedom' Remains an Anarcho-Capitalist ... - Reason - October 9th, 2023 [October 9th, 2023]
- Building the World's First Private Libertarian City - Reason - July 13th, 2023 [July 13th, 2023]
- Libertarian candidates say they were not asked for money to run - Buenos Aires Herald - July 13th, 2023 [July 13th, 2023]
- David Schmidtz and My Dad on Asking the Right Questions - Econlib - July 13th, 2023 [July 13th, 2023]
- Indiana governor's race grows more crowded with addition of ... - The Statehouse File - July 13th, 2023 [July 13th, 2023]
- Revealed: The EU lobbying of the so-called 'Consumer Choice Center' - EUobserver - July 13th, 2023 [July 13th, 2023]
- Why do voters have to pick a Republican or a Democrat in the US? - kinyradio.com - July 13th, 2023 [July 13th, 2023]
- Review: Choose Your Own Adventure in 'American Futures' Book - Reason - July 13th, 2023 [July 13th, 2023]
- Twitter users slam Kamala Harris for airplane bathroom demand amid the ongoing border crisis: 'Really?' - Yahoo News - July 13th, 2023 [July 13th, 2023]
- Fundraisers revel in gutted N.J. pay-to-play law - POLITICO - July 13th, 2023 [July 13th, 2023]
- Utah Gov. Spencer Cox wants to spare kids from their phones - Salt Lake Tribune - July 13th, 2023 [July 13th, 2023]
- Kari Lake in Tucson: "I'm actually eyeing the Senate race" - KGUN 9 Tucson News - July 13th, 2023 [July 13th, 2023]
- Q&A with Gary Swing | Veteran minor party candidate advocates for ... - coloradopolitics.com - July 13th, 2023 [July 13th, 2023]
- Jonah Goldberg: A NeverTrumper's Take on the 2024 Election - Reason - July 13th, 2023 [July 13th, 2023]
- Gov. Lombardo one of few republicans to sign abortion protections ... - KTNV 13 Action News Las Vegas - June 2nd, 2023 [June 2nd, 2023]
- Review: 'Land and Liberty' Charts Henry George's Influence - Reason - June 2nd, 2023 [June 2nd, 2023]
- Polish ref cleared of wrongdoing, will take charge of Champions ... - TVP World - June 2nd, 2023 [June 2nd, 2023]
- The Taliban 20's McCarthy Red Line - Puck - June 2nd, 2023 [June 2nd, 2023]
- Morris: Property: Imagine it anew - Greenfield Daily Reporter - June 2nd, 2023 [June 2nd, 2023]
- Weekend Reading on Women's Representation: Stereotypes Can ... - Ms. Magazine - June 2nd, 2023 [June 2nd, 2023]
- Fox Business Shuts Down Kennedy, Will Replace With Kudlow Reruns - Yahoo Entertainment - June 2nd, 2023 [June 2nd, 2023]
- The 11th commandment | News | vcreporter.com - Ventura County Reporter - June 2nd, 2023 [June 2nd, 2023]
- The Long Afterlife of Libertarianism - The New Yorker - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Can McCarthy Pass the Debt Deal and Keep His Job? - The New York Times - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- McCarthy-Biden Debt Limit Deal Clears First Hurdle in Key House ... - The New York Sun - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Libertarian Party of Wisconsin: Libertarians to voters: Let's go ... - WisPolitics.com - April 25th, 2023 [April 25th, 2023]
- How the pandemic challenged libertarianism | Canada's National ... - Canada's National Observer - April 25th, 2023 [April 25th, 2023]
- Colorado falls to 43rd in national highway ranking - The Durango Herald - April 25th, 2023 [April 25th, 2023]
- Are We Stuck In a Plutocratic Formal Organization? An Analysis of ... - Trincoll.edu - April 25th, 2023 [April 25th, 2023]
- Why Is Tucker Carlson Leaving Fox News? - Reason - April 25th, 2023 [April 25th, 2023]
- Despite SCOTUS Ruling Limiting Its Authority, EPA Tries To ... - Reason - April 25th, 2023 [April 25th, 2023]
- Biden's "freedom" pitch and the coming political realignment - The.Ink - April 25th, 2023 [April 25th, 2023]
- Informal dollar reaches AR$497, Fernndez and Massa blame ... - Buenos Aires Herald - April 25th, 2023 [April 25th, 2023]
- Crack-Up Capitalism by Quinn Slobodian review the economic anarchy of Liz Trusss dreams - The Guardian - April 25th, 2023 [April 25th, 2023]
- 2024 Libertarian Presidential Candidates - Who's Running in 2024? - March 2nd, 2023 [March 2nd, 2023]
- 5 things the Libertarian Party stands for | The Hill - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- Most Libertarian States 2022 - worldpopulationreview.com - December 25th, 2022 [December 25th, 2022]
- Gun Ownership | Libertarian Party - December 25th, 2022 [December 25th, 2022]
- Libertarian Party | History, Beliefs, & Facts | Britannica - December 18th, 2022 [December 18th, 2022]
- The Education of a Libertarian | Cato Unbound - December 18th, 2022 [December 18th, 2022]