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Scott Ritter wants you to \u00ab\u00a0start asking questions\u00a0\u00bb about Alexander Zyryanov’s arrest<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n On June 14, 4:53pm Moscow Time, I published<\/a> a blog post that made the following observations<\/strong>:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I finished the blog post by suggesting that maybe it would be a good idea to start asking questions about Zyryanov\u2019s arrest.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Approximately one hour<\/a> after publishing my blog post, Ritter made the following statements during a livestream<\/a> with RT\u2019s Fiorella Isabel:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Here\u2019s the relevant clip:<\/span><\/p>\n VIDEO<\/span><\/p>\n [Inaccessible aux Grosses Orchades.]<\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s a transcript:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n If the opportunity continues I would hope to continue to work with Russia, but notice what I said: Work with Russia. I don\u2019t work for Russia. Never have, never will. And the moment this becomes an exercise that can be misconstrued, misinterpreted as Russian propaganda, is the moment I unplug.<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019m hopeful that I\u2019ll be able to continue to work with Russia to achieve mutual objectives of friendship based upon common understanding, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n And I\u2019ll just say this to the Russian audience: If the Russian government doesn\u2019t care about America anymore, doesn\u2019t care about Americans anymore\u2014and I\u2019m not saying they\u2019re wrong\u2014I\u2019m just saying at that point then what\u2019s the purpose of an American trying to care about Russia? It is a two-way street and it requires both sides to be willing to work with one another. And I understand the frustration of the Russians.<\/span><\/p>\n But there are Americans who do want to do the right thing. There are Americans who do want to have friendship. There are Americans who are trying to pursue peaceful outcomes. And if they\u2019re shut out, they can\u2019t help you\u2014they can\u2019t help you.<\/span><\/p>\n And the reason why I bring this up is that, you know, the person that I was working with in Russia was arrested. And I don\u2019t know the circumstances, I\u2019m not a Russian lawyer, I don\u2019t pretend to understand Russian law\u2014but that was my point of contact.<\/span><\/p>\n And I can say this about Alexander Zyryanov, who was the director of the investment agency of Novosibirsk: The Alexander that I knew was an honest man. This charge of corruption just rings false\u2014rings false. I\u2019m not saying it can\u2019t be, I don\u2019t know the details\u2014it rings false. It rings false because of the man I knew, but it also rings false because of the company he kept.<\/span><\/p>\n You\u2019re judged in a large sense by the company you keep. He kept company of immaculate character, moral character, professional character. These were good people, people of great standing. If you\u2019re a corrupt individual around there playing crooked deals, you\u2019re not surrounded by people like this.<\/span><\/p>\n So there was nothing about Alexander Zyryanov that gave off any hint that he was anything other than who he presented himself to be.<\/span><\/p>\n Now I know he may have stepped on some toes. I know that some people might of been concerned that the trips that I was on was giving him too high of a profile\u2014that\u2019s not a crime. That\u2019s not a crime, that\u2019s not what you arrest somebody and put him in jail for.<\/span><\/p>\n But I\u2019ll also say this and I\u2019ll leave it at this, because like I said, I don\u2019t want to get involved in Russian legal affairs and internal\u2014Alexander told me back in November of last year that there were political powers in Novosibirsk that were trying to push him aside, to take over his position.<\/span><\/p>\n Because Alexander Zyryanov as the director of this investment development agency\u2014he started that job in 2017. What he did to Novosibirsk, and I want every citizen of Novosibirsk to understand it, is transform your economy. He transformed your economy. He brought in the investments. He made it the dynamic economy that it is. He\u2019s the reason why you\u2019re the third-largest city in Russia and the largest growing economy\u2014because of his work. Now there were other people he didn\u2019t do it by himself. But that\u2019s who this guy is.<\/span><\/p>\n And I\u2019ll also say this for the Russians: You speak highly of the heroes of the special military operation. I\u2019ll give you two little war stories. Back when I was getting read to come for the first time\u2014it was a big deal for me. I\u2019m coming to Russia for the first time in 30 years. I\u2019m a little nervous. And I don\u2019t know what to expect. And so I keep calling up Alexander and say, \u2018hey, make me feel good about this trip. Make me feel like it\u2019s worthwhile doing\u2019. And I had this period of time where I couldn\u2019t get in touch with him. I was getting frustrated. I\u2019m like \u2018what the hell is going on?\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n Then he sends me a photograph. He had been delivering humanitarian goods, drones, and specialized equipment to the fighters in Bakhmut. He sent me a photograph from Bakhmut. Corrupt people don\u2019t deliver humanitarian goods, cell phones and stuff to the fighters in Bakhmut. He did the same thing right before this trip\u2014I think five armored vehicles full of drones, etc., to the fighters on the frontlines.<\/span><\/p>\n He\u2019s a hero of Russia. Alexander Zyryanov deserves a medal put on his chest, he doesn\u2019t deserve to spend one day in jail.<\/span><\/p>\n So all I\u2019m asking from people to do is start asking questions, that\u2019s all.<\/span><\/p>\n If the answers are that he committed a crime\u2014if you\u2019re familiar with the TV show Barretta from the 1970s, \u2018don\u2019t do the crime if you can\u2019t do the time\u2019\u2014and that\u2019s just the way it is around the world. Nobody is above the law. But the Alexander that I know, that I worked with, I can\u2019t image him doing the things he was accused of. He\u2019s not a corrupt individual. He\u2019s a patriot, and he was trying his damndest to make relations between Russia and America better.<\/span><\/p>\n And this project is a lesser project without him. It doesn\u2019t mean that the project is over. But the dynamic nature that he brought with him\u2014this was a human force that made things work. His desire for peace was discernable and I\u2019m deeply saddened that my friend is in prison. I\u2019m deeply saddened that our project has been put on hold. And I\u2019m hopeful that things will work out for the better for both of us.<\/span><\/p>\n I continue to search for statements or comments made by Ritter about Zyryanov\u2019s arrest\u2014and as far as I can tell, this is the first time that Ritter has opened up about the case and stated unequivocally that he thinks his friend has been wrongly accused.<\/span><\/p>\n Ritter\u2019s comment about Zyryanov telling him back in November that a Novosibirsk bigwig was coming after his job is especially interesting. Why did Ritter wait until now to share this information?<\/span><\/p>\n The timing is just very strange.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\nHe made this request one hour after we started asking questions about Zyryanov’s arrest. Coincidence or fate?!<\/span><\/h3>\n
Edward Slavsquat \u2013 16.6.2024<\/span><\/h3>\n
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