The subsequent dispute over what constitutes “true” Cossack identity goes beyond a simple matter of uniform. The attack on peaceful opposition activists has sparked concerns that the Cossacks’ romanticised past is being used to legitimise the actions of Kremlin-backed paramilitary groups. [...]
Inside Russia, Cossack patrols have now become a kind of volunteer morality police. In Krasnodar, the southern region where the attack on Navalny and his team took place, they were even put on the region’s payroll in 2012.
Their increased presence was widely seen as an attempt to keep in check an increasing number of migrants in the region bordering the Caucasus region. Even though they had no authority to conduct arrests or carry firearms, the message was that the Cossack figures alone would provide police with a tool of intimidation less constrained by the burden of public accountability.
No comments:
Post a Comment