One of Putin’s propagandists has suggested starting a fundraiser to assassinate a Russian chess grandmaster.
War propagandist Sergei Mardan called for donations to assassinate Garry Kasparov, who he accused of being a ‘foreign agent’.
Former MP Ilya Ponomarev, 48, and veteran independent TV host Yevgeny Kiselyov, 67, both now based in Ukraine, should also be targeted, he claimed.
All three have been critical of Putin’s regime.
‘Only Ilya Ponomarev has been recognised as a terrorist by Russia,’ he said.
’I haven’t heard of any prize money announced to assassinate him.
’Why not?’
He urged fundraising on the Solovyov Live propaganda show, broadcast on multiple outlets including radio linked to Russia’s main state broadcaster.
’Raising money to destroy Ponomarev. How much is needed? $10,000, $20,000, $50,000?
’I think we could raise it in three days for such a good cause…’
Broadcaster Kiselyov was another ‘target’, he said.
’This man also supports an anti-Putin declaration by chess star and political activist Garry Kasparov.
’Garry Kasparov is travelling freely around the world, he probably has no security.
’He lives openly in the States, walks in the park, comes to the Baltics.
’What’s the problem? I mean, really, what’s the problem?’
He criticised the authorities for failing to assassinate Putin foes like Kasparov, 60, as they had done with Chechen ‘terrorists’ in the past.
’Do you remember the Chechen terrorist Yandarbiyev? You probably don’t remember, I do. He was killed in Qatar as a result of a special operation by our special services.
’Do you remember the Chechen terrorist Shamil Basayev? He was hunted for a very long time, that is, he brought an immeasurable amount of evil and misfortune to Russia.
’He too was killed as a result of a special operation by our special services.’
Kiselyov told the Kyiv Post: ‘This is not just a random outburst from an obscure character on his own little-known YouTube channel.
’This message is being broadcast on the state radio station VestiFM and all Telegram channels belonging to [Russian state broadcaster] VGTRK, and their main video portal.’
He said: ‘Many years have passed, and one of the subordinates of my former friend and colleague Oleg Dobrodeyev – the man who heads the massive machine of Russian state television – publicly suggests starting a fundraiser to hire a hitman and kill one of the opposition leaders, Garry Kasparov.’
Kasparov was ‘a globally renowned politician, philanthropist, and former world chess champion who brought honor and fame to our country,’ he said.
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