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Welcome to our column, Russia Update, where we will be closely following day-to-day developments in Russia, including the Russian government’s foreign and domestic policies.
The previous issue is here.
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– Russian Parliamentary Elections Round-Up: Open Russia’s Baronova Registered; Shevchenko Disqualified
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UPDATES BELOW
Novaya Gazeta has obtained a document indicating that Aleksandr Bastrykin, head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, has submitted his resignation. The form, described as “on release from position” is signed by “A.I. Bastrykin”.
According to a report by Roman Anin, head of Novaya Gazeta’s Investigative Department, the document is an extract from a file at the office of the presidential administration. Judging from the information in the form, Bastrykin personally requested resignation even before September 20, as that is the date the form reporting this is signed by A.A. Radchenko, deputy head of the personnel department of the Investigative Committee.
The web site Legal.Report also referenced the document in a report that Bastrykin had requested to leave his position.
The Investigative Committee denied the claim, Legal.Report indicated.
As we reported September 14, sources reached by RBC said Bastrykin would be leaving his position after the elections.
RBC’s sources included officials “close to the leadership of the FSB, the central office of the Investigative Committee and three close to the presidential administration.”
According to Legal.Report, Svetlana Petrenko, deputy head of the Investigative Committee’s department for media liaison, said the form signed by Radchenko is unrelated to the head of the IC; it’s just that his name as the signator is used generically to “encode” the name of a completely different person. Although this is internal correspondence, this is a widespread practice in the IC, she said.
Meanwhile, RBC found a source “close to the presidential administration” who confirmed that a statement of resignation had been received by Bastrykin addressed to Vladimir Putin. The source said Bastrykin had no intention of ending his career, and there was an “active discussion” about moving him to replace Vyacheslav Lebedev as head of the Supreme Court, another source close to the leadership of the Federation Council or upper chamber of parliament told RBC.
But Gazeta.ru reported a source who said that the document in question actually references the resignation of Vladimir Markin, the spokesman of the IC whose departure was confirmed earlier this month.
Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told RIA Novosti that he knows nothing about Bastrykin’s resignation.
— Catherine A. Fitzpatrick