Video on behalf of IS* reminds of special services' role in killing rights defenders

The video spread in social networks on behalf of the "Islamic State" (IS), a terrorist organization, banned in Russia by a court decision, calling to kill Russian rights defenders, will help the authorities to reload responsibility for such killings on extremists and marginalized people, the experts, interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot", believe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that a video on behalf of militants of the "Vilayat Kavkaz", an IS* branch, calling to kill Russian well-known rights defenders, has been recently distributed in social networks.

Dmitry Oreshkin, a political analyst, believes that the call contained in the video may be perceived as a guide by marginal society groups in Chechnya and other regions of Russia. He pointed out that for marginalized persons it does not matter who really issued a call – the IS*, or not IS*.

"Nevertheless, the goal of the video is obvious – to create the feeling that if something happens to rights defenders, it's extremists' fault. The more rights defenders are killed, the more reasons to tighten the screws," Mr Oreshkin told the "Caucasian Knot"correspondent.

Andrei Areshev, an expert at the Strategic Culture Foundation and a researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, has also noted that it can not be ruled out that after the widespread call, marginalized activists will attack rights defenders.

According to Mr Areshev, mentally unbalanced people can always find an excuse for attacking someone, but in the case of attacking rights defenders, their actions will surely be controlled and directed by law enforcers.

*"Islamic State" (IS) is organization recognized as terrorist and banned in Russia by a court decision.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.