Analysts doubt reality of terror threat in Stavropol Territory

Special services are motivated to spread falsified reports about the detention of alleged terrorists in the Stavropol Territory in order to improve their reports and for propaganda purposes, Yelena Suslova, a journalist, and Arsen Sarkisov, a human rights defender, believe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that a supporter of the "Islamic State" (IS)* from Stavropol had planned to commit a terror act at the railway station; elements of an explosive device were confiscated from him, the Russian FSB reported on April 13. On April 25, the FSB reported the detention of another IS* supporter suspected of plotting a terror act on the transport infrastructure facility of the Stavropol Territory.

The detention of the alleged terrorist is a staging for the purpose of obtaining material benefits – a career promotion or cash bonus, Elena Suslova, a Stavropol journalist, has suggested.

"FSB agents could have imitated the detention amid the special operation, because now everyone wants a medal on one's chest, a promotion and a bonus," she has noted.

The detention of the alleged terrorist is a staging aimed at intimidating the population in order to increase law enforcers' authority among residents of the Stavropol Territory, Arsen Sarkisov, a local rights defender, has suggested, adding that there is no real suspect, and there will be no trial.

In his opinion, by means of messages and videos about detentions of alleged terrorists, the FSB is trying to "consolidate the nation" in the face of a real threat; but there is no threat whatsoever, Arsen Sarkisov is confident.

* Islamic State (IS, former ISIL) is a  terrorist organization, banned in Russia by the court

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on April 26, 2022 at 08:32 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.