3 1. Ref: A worker from the Arcelor Mittal Krivoi Rog company. Wrote just before his arrest: They came for me, it was a pleasure to talk. She was bald then, her head. Russian star practices despite report of positive drug test She doesn't remember the toe pick of Oleg Sliakhov's skate catching her on the left side of her head. When Russian figure skaters Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze took home gold with a less than worthy performance in the 2002 Winter Olympics, a scoring controversy in the sport was exposed, leading to a complete revamp of the point system. Episode #81: Tamara Moskvina - figure skating interviews : The Photos+video clipof him being intimated and threatened. Notes:Currently held in a pretrial detention centre, been beaten and are facing execution on false charges. On the flip side, the Russian side has also documented the human rights abuses and repression:reportof violations from 2017-2020. In short, under Zelenskys rule, the government agencies and others armed groups are detaining, imprisoning, and killing people in Ukraine. Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze of Russia celebrate gold at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. But if I was her mother, I would cry. The last person named is Elena Berezhnaya, a famous Russian pair skater. Watch: This report is by Patrick Lancaster, a US Navy veteran and independent crowd-funded journalist on location in Ukraine. Pro-Western monitors including the United Nations Office of the High Commission (UN OHCR) andHuman Rights Watchhave accused the SBU of systematically torturing political opponents and Ukrainian dissidents with near-total impunity. However, they frequently come to the SBUs central office for holding, for example, specific meetings or plotting secret operations.. It is likely that these soldiers had been emboldened by their superiors blessings. Three years ago, pairs skater Alexandra Koshevaya was given a two-year ban after testing positive for torasemide, which she claimed to have used for a foot injury. Hes also covered the Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict reaching over 8 million aggregate views on hisYouTube channelwith his reporting on the ground there. Zelensky justified locking away his leading rival on the grounds that he needed to fight against the danger of Russian aggression in the information arena.. The fourth episode on Netlfix's 'Bad Sport' titled 'Gold War' visits the competitive world of figure skating. Canadian skaters not surprised by arrest - July 31, 2002 - CNN This article provides an overview into a deeply disturbing trend in Ukraine, one that started in 2014, that has accelerated and intensified since 24 February 2022. His authoritarian decrees have triggered the disappearance, torture and even murder of an array of human rights activists, communist and leftist organizers, journalists and government officials accused of pro-Russian sympathies. He was subsequently forced to make a anti-Russian speech on camera and on his YouTube channel as well. Today, she is a mystery: injured, chagrined and unable to land all but the easiest of the triple jumps. Then, as now, Sikharulidze maintains his innocence, and the innocence of his partner in the figure skating controversy plaguing the only Olympic gold medal they ever won. Unverified claims made indicate the participation of Azov members in the torture and disappearance of Maxim Rindkovsky. As of today, eleven mayors from various towns in Ukraine are missing. Notes:Anton Gerashchenko, Advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, announced on his social media account that the Mayor of Kreminna, Volodymyr Struk, was shot dead by unknown patriots after he was kidnapped from his home. 2002 Winter Olympics figure skating scandal - Wikipedia Several journalists and Ukrainian dissidents, including the prominent columnistOles Buzina, weremurdered by state-backed death squadsafter their names appeared on the list. Dont think ill of me. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has framed his countrys war against Russia as a battle for democracy itself. And now, at the worlds, a medal is within reach entering tonight's long program. Tara Lipinski Says Figure Skating Changed After 2002 Olympic - Yahoo! The Neo-Nazi group C-14 leader, Yevhen Yarasopenly acknowledgedworking with the Ukrainian security service, (SBU). The outlawed parties consisted of the entire left-wing, socialist or anti-NATO spectrum in Ukraine. Nov 2018 - Present4 years 7 months. ", "So," said Moskvina, "we spoke about her health.". Anyone that criticises or is considered as opposing his government, any perceived actions, (current or historical) is duly noted, and thus is likely to get persecuted, detained by either the SBU or irregular paramilitary groups. Associated Press writer Dasha Litvinova contributed to this report. Vassily Prozorov, a former SBU officer who defected to Russia following the Euromaidan coup, detailed the post-Maidan security services systemic reliance on torture to crush political opposition and intimidate citizens accused of Russian sympathies. When she first arrived at the hospital in Latvia, she saw a skater who was motionless and speechless. The SBU has a history of torture, brutal interrogations, extra judicial murders and other violence and threats carried out with total impunity. Doctors cleaned out the wound and hoped for the best. On 9 January 1996, Berezhnaya was seriously injured when Shliakhov's blade sliced into her skull while the pair were practicing a side-by-side camel spin in Riga. "I hope here to be in the top 24" to qualify for next year's Olympic Games, she said. A day before his murder, Struk had. These reports made for grim reading, yet no one in the corporate Western media dare to make references to these, but instead continue to whitewash the hideous crimes committed by Ukrainian law enforcement & military units. Valentyn Nalyvaichenko, the first head of the SBU after the Euromaidan regime change operation of 2013-14, nurtured close ties to Washington when he served as general consul to the Ukrainian embassy to the US during the George W. Bush administration. The first indication of a problem with the results of the three-day team competition which concluded Monday with Russia winning gold, the U.S. silver and Japan bronze came when the medal ceremony was postponed indefinitely. Articles Cited by Public access Co-authors. Ref: The daughter of Mikhail Viacheslavov, burned alive on 2 May 2014, in the Odessa House of Trade Unions. Self: Battle of the Blades. Jamie Sal and David Pelletier, the Canadian figure skating pair that turned in a near-flawless performance at the time, were awarded a silver [] Lets, for the sake of understanding, wait for some explanations either from our sports officials or from the IOC, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. And she feared him, even though she lived with his family. During training, Oleg Shlyakhov hit the girl's temple with the blade of his skate. For his part, Shariy has been placed on the notorious Myrotvorets public blacklist of enemies of the state founded by Anton Geraschenko the Ministry of Internal Affairs advisor who endorsed the assassination of Ukrainian lawmakers accused of Russian sympathies. While this is all happening, the Western authorities and corporate MSM are completely indifferent to the situation and turmoil. "I was sure I would be able to skate," she said. "We are not so clear with that concerning prize money and the financial situation. Resident give testimony as to the war crimes perpetrated by UAF and Azov fighters. Remember these people, these Ukrainians who for various reasons fell afoul of the authorities, imprisoned, tortured, disappeared, or killed. Elena Viktorovna Berezhnaya ( Russian: , born 11 October 1977) is a Russian former pair skater. As journalist Dan Cohen, For his part, Shariy has been placed on the notorious Myrotvorets public blacklist of enemies of the state founded by Anton Geraschenko the Ministry of Internal Affairs advisor who endorsed the assassination of Ukrainian lawmakers accused of Russian sympathies. Three years ago, pairs skater Alexandra Koshevaya was given a two-year ban after testing positive for torasemide, which she claimed to have used for a foot injury. He is known to have links to organised crimes and involvement inextrajudicialkillings. Elena Berezhnaya remembers that Anton Sikharulidze arrived at her hospital bedside and she knew, immediately, that she was in the hands of someone she could trust. Member of the Novyi Sotcialism (New Socialism) party. People are not only being tied up to street furniture as suspected looters, but people are being bound up or arrested for being pro-Russian, for not being able to say the word Palyanytsya in Ukrainian. Not every ethnic Russian speaker in Ukraine can speak good Ukrainian, and some have trouble pronouncing certain words in Ukrainian. Elena Berezhnaya: In Order to Unite, Ukraine Must Repent for the Dead The SBU has a harrowing track record of serious human right abuses, which continues today. Event: murdered on the street of Kiev, near Pechersky Court building by the SBU security service. With partner Anton Sikharulidze, she is the 1998 and 1999 World champion, 1998 Olympic silver medalist and 2002 Olympic champion . Elena BEREZHNAYA | PostDoc Position | Thomas Jefferson University Ryndovskiy also happened to be Jewish, with a Star of David tattooed on his leg, and had spoken out on social media against the war in eastern Ukraine. Yelena Berezhnaya - IMDb We dont know where my father is, we dont know what hes being charged with. The Ukrainian authorities and associated ultra-nationalist groups are after people who were not only very critical of the former but also the current Ukrainian government. Leading members of the outlawed Leninist Communist Youth Union of Ukraine. OPBs critical reporting and inspiring programs are made possible by the power of member support. A Ukrainian journalist, Oles Buzina, had his personal details published on the site in 2015, which led to his murder shortly afterwards. Prior to the start of the Russian military operation against Kiev, a few instances of the brutality, torture and extra judicial killings were reported by a host of organisations, HRW, OSCE, Amnesty International, OHCHR and in France OFPRA. Embedded into the already volatile mix of state repression, Ukrainian ultra-nationalists operate outside of any legal oversight, thus not accountable to state political structures. Both were, In the following days, the SBU arrested broadcast journalist Yan Taksyur and charged him with treason; human rights activist Elena Berezhnaya; Elena Viacheslavova, a human rights advocate whose father, Mikhail, was burned to death during the, Perhaps the most ghastly incident of repression took place when neo-Nazis backed by the Ukrainian government kidnapped Maxim Ryndovskiy, a professional MMA fighter, and, Ukraines SBU has even hunted opposition figures outside the countrys borders. Western media outlets have been following the Kiev line without exception,claimingthat all mayors been arrested by the Russian military. I don't have enough money to buy nine judges. Meanwhile, dozens of other, Among those targeted by the SBU were Mikhail and Aleksander Kononovich, members of the outlawed Leninist Communist Youth Union of Ukraine. An interview with Tamara Moskvina, one of the most legendary coaches of all time in figure skating. Ukrainian soldiers use of the cellphones of dead Russian soldiers to mock and hector their relatives appears to be a common practice. Against this background of feverish witch-hunts, any hint of the slightest suspicion of cooperation or aiding Russians is tantamount to a summary execution in some situations, or more likely, a beating and being handed over to the SBU. The road to victory turned out to be incredibly difficult. He also added that Struk was judged by the court of the people and called hime a traitor. Doctors cleaned out the wound and hoped for the best. The increasing levels of lawlessness and repression makes it very difficult to collect precise information. The SBU, human rights abuses and paramilitaires. Elena Berezhnaya & Anton Sikharulidze | Golden Skate With Mishin she was the World Silver medalist and competed in the 1968 . Elena Berezhnaya - Postdoctoral Research Fellow - LinkedIn As the conflict continues, the repression continues to build up against a wide-ranging category of people. The so called international community has expressed no interest or desire to take a closer look at this disturbing situation in Ukraine. Elena had to go through two major neurosurgery operations. As a result, an additional gold medal was awarded to the Canadian team, who were given silver at first with what many felt was a superior performance to the Russians, per Britannica. A day before his murder, Struk hadreportedlyurged his Ukrainian colleagues to negotiate with pro-Russian officials. Gave birth to her 1st child at age 29, a son Tristan Cousins on October 6, 2007. "I'm looking for a wife for my daughter": interview with the legendary Be a part of it. Here too, the perpetrators of human rights abuses appear to have received approval from the upper echelons of Ukrainian leadership. While we have all heard about the egregious processes that took place in the USA, a witch hunt for suspected communists, better known McCarthyism, a similar course of action is taking place in Ukraine. The injury had been an accident, but Berezhnaya had quarreled often with her former partner, Oleg Sliakhov, and said she had become afraid of him. There are simply hundreds and hundreds of video clips and photos showing these events, which are outlined in anotherarticle. Along with winning the short program and free skate, she became the first woman to land a quadruple jump in Olympic competition, giving her team the maximum number of points while underscoring her status as the individual favorite. Medvedchuk escaped house arrest at the onset of the war between Russia and Ukraine, but is a captive once again, and may be used as collateral for a post-war prisoner swap with Russia. Moreover, many had total impunity since 2014 and despite a couple of incidents between the SBU and Right Sector, they still have undeclared support by all levels of Ukrainian officialdom. What Happened To Russian Figure Skating Pair Elena Berezhnaya And Anton Sikharulidze. Two of the nine judges put them in first place, but overall, they are behind Germany's Mandy Wotzel and Ingo Steuer and fellow Russians Marina Eltsova and Andrei Bushkov. Those detained are often put under huge stress, threatened, beaten, or tortured into giving confessions. She spoke at the UN, Bundestag, OSCE. I show what the western media will not show you., Your email address will not be published. Next, on March 24, Gennady Matsegora, the mayor of Kupyansk in northeastern Ukraine, released a video (below) appealing to President Volodymyr Zelensky and his administration for the release of his daughter, who had been held hostage by agents of the Ukrainian SBU intelligence agency. The accompanying post was captioned, looking for Nazis.. Russians Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikhaurlidze took gold in the pairs event despite mistakes on a jumping pass, while the second-place team of Jamie Sale and David Pelletier of Canada skated . "Because for two consecutive years my coach and I stay in the United States, we were not familiar with some of the regulations, especially financial regulations," she said through an interpreter. Seemingly countless videos have appeared on social media showing civilians tied to lamp posts, often with their genitals exposed or their faces painted green. . He gave few details, but Adams acknowledged that we have athletes that have won medals involved.. Germany's Mandy Woetzel and Ingo Steuer are first. The accident caused partial paralysis on her right side, and doctors were unsure if she would walk again. Mykola Azarov made references to death squads in a video. List of Ukrainians that have been Epsteined | Political Talk These reports provided a glimpse into a situation that was overwhelmingly swept under the carpet by EU, U.S. officials and the corporate MSM alike. Notably, during the Donbass conflict, the Ukrainian side committed extremely heinous crimes, such burying people alive, beheadings (as reported by Newsweek), pitiless systematic acts of torture, rapes, looting, on a significantly much larger scale compared to the reported crimes committed by the pro-Russian side also featured in these reports. In the fallout from the 2002 figure skating controversy, a judge and leading official in the support were suspended, and naturally enough, Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze were also reviled. People have been reportedly, The SBU has a history of torture, brutal interrogations, extra judicial murders and other violence and threats carried out with total impunity. "Let's speak about her health. The International Olympic Committee and Switzerland-based International Testing Agency, which oversees the Olympic drug testing program, have declined to comment on the case. Where Are Jamie Sal and David Pelletier Today? - The Cinemaholic People were surprised to see her; she was wearing a scarf to cover her shaved head. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has framed his countrys war against Russia as a battle for democracy itself. While the Russian team dominated the competition, it was Valieva that shone brightest. "One less traitor": Zelensky oversees campaign of assassination Elena Berezhnaya Update 1995-96 Champion Series Final CBC Sports Oral Histories: The skating scandal that rocked the 2002 His bodyguards tried to use firearms to prevent Shufrychs detention, one of the soldiers told RFE/RL, adding that all four had been handed over to the police. In addition to her injury, Chen has been having difficulty with the Chinese skating federation, which has been keeping quite a bit of her earnings from tours and competitions. Ref: Reportedly detained by the 206th Territorial Defense Battalion. . Ukraines SBU has even hunted opposition figures outside the countrys borders. The mayor of Kreminna in Luhansk region, former deputy of Luhansk parliament was found killed., According to Geraschenko, Strok had been judged by the court of the peoples tribunal.. In addition, he has a keen interest in Ukrainian politics. The so-called "greatest sports team ever assembled" came together to compete for the USA in basketball at the 1992 Summer Olympic games. As the remaining fighting in Mariupol is concentrated on the final Ukrainian hold-outs holed-up in the Azovstal Plant in the citys industrial port district, the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) and its notorious extremist Azov Battalion fighters appear to have left dozens of murdered civilians behind, including some with their hands bound indicating an execution, after UAF retreated from their positions embedded among civilians in Mariupol. Let's speak of her health,' " Moskvina said. Kamila Valieva, the 15-year-old Russian superstar who was expected to deliver her nation its third straight Olympic gold medal in womens figure skating, tested positive for a banned heart medication before the Beijing Games, the Russian newspaper RBC reported. they were real champions. "I won't cry. . Reporters asked the Kremlin about the potential doping issue late Wednesday amid speculation that the gold medals won by Valieva and five other Russian skaters that took part in the team competition could be at risk. OHCHR documented allegations of enforced disappearances, arbitrary and incommunicado detention, and torture and ill-treatment, perpetrated with impunity by Ukrainian law enforcement officials, mainly by elements of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU)., The June 2016 UN report noted that the cases of incommunicado detention and torture brought to their attention in late 2015 and early 2016 mostly implicate SBU. . Within this scope includes being pro-Minsk agreements, advocating for peace in Donbass or highlight human rights abuses. Watch: Zelensky is 'up to his elbows in blood' - Former Ukrainian PM As journalist Dan Cohenreported, Anatoly Shariy of the recently banned Party of Shariy said he was the target of a recent SBU assassination attempt. They soared into third place in the short program and the crowd stood and roared, admiring a soulful performance and acknowledging Berezhnaya's grit and grace. Only once her stepfather saw bruises, and after his conversation with Nina Ivanovna she stopped touching the girl. Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Thursday she hoped Gonzalo Lira Lopez who disappeared following his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was alive and well. Elena Berezhnaya (Human rights activist / ex-figure skater) Dmitry Dzhangirov, (TV presenter, political scientist); Yuriy Dudkin, (political scientist); Maxim Rindkovsky (MMA fighter); Dmitry Skvortsov (journalist); Aleksandr Matiushenko (activist organisation "Livytsia"); Oleg Smetanin (violinist); "It's one thing that puts you over the top, if you skate the whole program cleanly. Take action today! While training together in January 1996, she suffered a serious injury, leaving her partly paralyzed and unable to speak. FIGURE SKATING: CHAMPION SERIES FINAL; Russian Dancer's Special Valievas status for the individual competition next week has also been cast in doubt. The thorny path of Elena Berezhnaya is respected not only by every skater, but also by everyone who heard her story. The Ukrainian official therefore delivered a chilling message to anyone choosing to seek cooperation with Russia: do so and lose your life. (HRW 2016). Perhaps the most ghastly incident of repression took place when neo-Nazis backed by the Ukrainian government kidnapped Maxim Ryndovskiy, a professional MMA fighter, andbrutally tortured himfor the crime of training with Russian fighters at a gym in Chechnya. Russians Take Early Ice Dance Lead - timesunion.com Dmitri Djangirov, a Ukrainian journalist, is missing. Verified email at jefferson.edu. Dmitry Dzhangirov, (TV presenter, political scientist); Aleksandr Matiushenko (activist organisation Livytsia); These individuals and others are listed in further details later on in the article. "When I started to teach them, every minute I was afraid to look," she said. As per the show, Oleg was abusive and temperamental, leading to tension during their practices and performances. Berezhnaya said she was scared only "a little bit, at the beginning," when she returned to the ice. A figure skating scandal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games saw Canadians Jamie Sal and David Pelletier briefly lose the gold medal to Russians Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze; in . Solely judging by the list as outlined in this article, it is just a little indication of the broader situation where there are hundreds of detainees in Ukraine, their circumstances and status hasnt warranted the attention to make their disappearance / arrest on social media, their whereabouts are not known at all. But her coach, Tamara Moskvina, remembers what the doctors told her when she obtained a visa and traveled from Russia to see her tiny skater lying motionless and speechless in a hospital bed five days after the accident. The. The 2002 Winter Olympics served as the stage for a controversy that had far-reaching consequences. It is likely that these soldiers had been emboldened by their superiors blessings. Elizabeth Punsalan and Jerod Swallow of the United States are sixth. Mamula Mamulashvili, the commander of the Georgian Legion, which participated in the field executions of wounded Russian POWs,boasted this Aprilthat his unit freely engages in war crimes: Yes, we tie their hands and feet sometimes. Yelena Berezhnaya took up skating at the age of four and switched from singles to pairs at the age of 13. Elena Berezhnaya Histone acetylation and deacetylation are among the most important epigenetic processes that regulate gene expression. Currently in a pre-trial detention centre. Despite enduring several broken ribs from the beating by state-backed ultra-nationalists, he has been denied bail. Prylipko had, Then there was the murder of Denis Kireev, a top member of the Ukrainian negotiating team, who was killed in broad daylight in Kiev after the first round of talks with Russia. We must all fear for our freedom and our lives.. Accused of: having trained with MMA fighters from the Chechen Ahmat club during his sports career. A short list of those who have fell foul of the Ukrainian government and its policies: Denis Kireev (high-ranking government official), Mikhail & Aleksander Kononovich (political party leaders), Elena Berezhnaya (Human rights activist / ex-figure skater). Russian skaters in particular have a history of positive results dating to 2000, when decorated pairs skater Elena Berezhnaya was stripped of a gold medal from the European championships for . 27/28 March: Slema, Cherkasy region. The worst cases are carried out by paramilitary and ultra-nationalist units. Why has Kristina changed her surname from Cousins to Lenko this year He subsequently learned that Igor was held by the SBU at the time and being used to bait Shariy into disclosing his location. Several mayors and other Ukrainian officials have been killed since the outbreak of war, many reportedly by Ukrainian state agents after engaging in de-escalation talks with Russia. The Russian Ministry of Defense has denied the charge, however, and little evidence exists to corroborate Kievs line about the missing mayors. The Director of Institute of Legal Policy and Social Protection Elena Berezhnaya described to the correspondent of the Federal News Agency (FAN) in Kiev the situation with nationalism in the country, the information policy of local media, and the possibility of the reunification of Ukraine. His friends are now looking for a lawyer, Taksyurs son Ilya told theUnion of Orthodox Journalists. A member of the Ukrainian government negotiating team. The SBU informs not only us, but also Azov, the Right Sector, and so on, Karasboastedin a 2017 interview. (@berezhnayaofficial) Instagram photos and videos Poklad is nicknamed The Strangler, a reference to his, Ukrainian soldiers use of the cellphones of dead Russian soldiers to mock and hector their relatives appears to be a common practice. The crowd, in a split second, went from rapturous . There is one less traitor in Ukraine, Internal Affairs Ministry advisor Anton Geraschenko stated in endorsement of the murder of a Ukrainian mayor accused of collaborating with Russia. In August 2020, Azovs National Corpsopened fireon a bus carrying representatives of Medvedchuks party, wounding several with rubber-coated steel bullets. Elena Berezhnaya, whose biography is full of various events, never complained to her parents about her coach. Fragments of the temporal bone touched the lining of the brain. This April, a vivid illustration of the SBUs brutality emerged in the form of video (below) showing its agents pummeling a group of men accused of Russian sympathies in the city of Dnipro. Berezhnaya, who was eighth at the 1994 Olympic Games in Norway with Sliakhov, never lost consciousness after the accident, Moskvina said. Where Are Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze Today? Then came Igors turn. In fact, the image was pulled from footage originally recorded by Patrick Lancaster, a Donetsk-based US journalist who had filmed the corpse of a woman tortured and murdered by members of the Ukrainian Azov Battalion in a Mariupol school basement they had converted into a base.