Aleksandr Podrabinek: seizure of book "FSB Blows Up Russia" is act of intimidation against society

The seizure of the edition of the book "FSB Blows Up Russia" by Aleksandr Litvinenko and Yuri Felshtinsky conducted by FSB (Federal Security Service) officers is an act of intimidation. Such an opinion was expressed by Prima human rights agency editor-in-chief Aleksandr Podrabinek. "We remember how they came in and conducted searches 20 years ago. Everybody knew it was dangerous to read books as it could be a ground for imprisonment. Now they make it clear to the society that it is dangerous to read such books," says Aleksandr Podrabinek.

The edition of the book "FSB Blows Up Russia", which is about the explosions in Moscow in 1999, was seized in late December, 2003 by police and FSB officers. The books were printed in Latvia for the Prima agency, which had ordered it for distribution at retail.

The seizure of the edition is an "attempt to show that Russia is turning off the way of democratic development and coming back to the Soviet past," holds Mr. Podrabinek. He stresses that "this is the first case for the last 15 years when a book is seized by ideological reasons."

Yuri Felshtinsky, one of the authors of the book, expressed his confidence that the Russian readers would see the book "FSB Blows Up Russia". He announced the second, supplemented edition of the book would be published in 2004.

Editors note: See also the articles "Case concerning book "Blowing Up Russia: Terror from Within" conducted by FSB", "Unhappy with bombing verdict family will sue in Strasbourg".