U.K. Complains to Russia, Says Pro-Putin Youths Harassing Envoy
By Patrick Donahue
Dec. 8 (Bloomberg) -- The British Embassy in Moscow has lodged a complaint with the Russian Foreign Ministry because the U.K. ambassador, Anthony Brenton, has been pursued by protesters from a youth group that backs the extension of state control by President Vladimir Putin.
The Russian government ``has assured us that our concerns are being addressed urgently and we look forward to that happening,'' embassy spokesman Anjoum Noorani said today in a telephone interview.
The group, Nashi, is conducting a campaign of harassment against Brenton to protest his meeting with members of Russia's political opposition before the Group of Eight summit in July in the Russian city of St. Petersburg, the Financial Times reported today. Nashi leaders meet regularly with Putin and his deputy chief of staff, Vladislav Surkov, the newspaper reported.
The complaint adds to the strain on U.K.-Russian ties that has developed since the fatal radiation poisoning of Putin critic Alexander Litvinenko, a former spy for Russia's FSB secret- service agency who died in London on Nov. 23. In a statement two days before his death, Litvinenko, who had become a British citizen, blamed Putin for the contamination with polonium 210.
Nashi members have blocked the ambassador's car, waved banners and shouted abuse at him since the G8 summit, FT said. It cited Brenton as saying the group's campaign is ``professionally done'' and ``borders on violence.''
``We are happy to discuss civil society issues with Nashi, and the ambassador has already invited them to do so, but they declined,'' Noorani said.
Nashi, which means ``Our Own,'' identifies itself as an ``anti-fascist'' youth group that supports Putin's expansion of the state in opposition to what it calls ``oligarchic capitalism,'' according to its charter, published by Russia's Interfax news agency April 15. The group said ``the first person to issue a genuine challenge to the regime of oligarchic capitalism by strengthening the state was Vladimir Putin.''
To contact the reporter on this story: Patrick Donahue in London at pdonahue1 at bloomberg.net .