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Some really good read:
For over a decade, ‘Pravfond’ has been providing legal aid to Russians across the world. Internal emails obtained by journalists show how it collaborated with spies, funded propaganda efforts, and built points of influence along the way.
www.occrp.org
Under the banner of human rights work, a state-backed Russian organization has spent years advancing the Kremlin’s geopolitical agenda across the world — including by funding the legal defense of alleged spies, criminals, and propagandists.
Among the recipients of its grants is a taxi driver convicted of espionage, a man convicted in the Czech Republic of leading an armed band during Russia’s annexation of Crimea, and an Australian activist who assaulted an elderly Ukraine supporter.
The “Foundation for the Support and Protection of the Rights of Compatriots Living Abroad,” also known in Russian as Pravfond, started operating in 2012 with the stated goal of defending the rights of Russians abroad, primarily by offering assistance if they get into legal trouble.
Last year, a leak of several dozen documents
revealed that Pravfond had ties to Russian intelligence and had helped pay for the legal defense of notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Now, an archive of nearly 50,000 emails from Pravfond, obtained by journalists from Danish public broadcaster DR and shared with OCCRP and 28 other media partners, exposes the inner workings of a foundation used by the Russian government to advance its interests around the world — defending spies, maintaining networks of influence, and funding propaganda — all under the banner of fighting for the human rights of Russian “compatriots.”
The emails show that Pravfond awarded well over 1,000 grants worth millions of dollars to people and organizations across the world over the course of about a decade. Despite being sanctioned by the European Union in 2023, Pravfond continued to send money to recipients in European countries, resulting in multiple possible sanctions violations.
more in the article
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and here is swift response to the post I made above:
But still good insight.
united24media.com
