No Ties with Berezovsky

The Kremlin believes that if you repeat a lie enough at least some people will believe it. (Perhaps more than some if you have total control of the mass media.) But the constant allegations that Other Russia is funded or otherwise supported by exiled tycoon Boris Berezovsky grew stale long ago. The latest round of this old game has been started by the Financial Times and an impromptu interview with Berezovsky in London. Based on the noisy and distracted nature of the interview it’s obvious to us Berezovsky did not understand the question being asked at the end, which he took as asking for confirmation that he funded the opposition in Russia. (The audio file is available, but cuts off abruptly after the desired answer is received so we are left in the dark regarding any clarification.)

When he found out what was being said about his remarks, Berezovsky quickly denied supporting Other Russia and denied claiming to have said he did. We are quite certain that had the interviewer added something such as “Kasparov” or otherwise made it clear — perhaps speaking in Russian instead of challenging Berezovsky’s English in a noisy room — this latest farce could have been avoided. Or are we supposed to believe that after repeated denials, Berezovsky would suddenly change his mind and confess to a “crime” he did not commit? And that he would do this one week after he stated in an interview with the Russian National Journal that he had “never given a penny” to Other Russia and had “never been asked to”? Such behavior is well below the journalistic standards of the Financial Times.

The Other Russia coalition yet again denies any involvement with Berezovsky, as today’s statements from Garry Kasparov and United Civil Front executive director Denis Bilunov make clear.