Dutch Court Sentences Two Russians, One Ukrainian To Life In Prison In MH17 Shoot-Down

Authored by rferl.org and submitted by hieronymusanonymous
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WASHINGTON -- An American stockbroker who made a fortune in the Russian market in the 1990s and 2000s and later co-founded a posh Moscow nightclub before leaving the country died of blunt force injuries suffered as a result of a fall from a Washington, D.C. building.

The findings, released on November 16 by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME), confirm that Dan Rapoport died on August 14 after falling from a height, but do not conclusively explain the circumstances leading up to his death.

Washington police told RFE/RL that an investigation into his death had ended and declined further comment. Earlier this year, a police spokeswoman told RFE/RL that foul play was not suspected, but that final conclusions were pending the autopsy.

Rapoport's untimely death triggered much speculation because he had voiced support for ardent Kremlin foe Aleksei Navalny before leaving Russia and, while living in Kyiv in recent years, had been a vocal supporter of Ukraine and an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Washington metropolitan police found Rapoport's body on August 14 on the sidewalk outside 2400 M Street, a nine-story apartment building in the northwest part of the city.

The medical examiner's report said Rapoport, 52, died of “multiple blunt force injuries due to fall from height” and described the death as “sudden/unexplained.” The report also said the manner of his death was “undetermined.”

The OCME said no other information would be immediately released.

A preliminary police report said officers responded to a report of a “jumper” on the evening of August 14, and the man, later identified as Rapoport, was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead.

The apartment building has an open rooftop with a pool, running track, and seating area for residents.

The police report said officers found $2,620 in cash on Rapoport when they discovered his body on the sidewalk, along with headphones, a cracked cell phone, a Florida driver’s license, and other items.

He was wearing flip-flops, perhaps indicating he had been at the pool on the roof prior to falling.

Brianna Burch, a police spokesperson, told RFE/RL in August that there did not appear to be anyone with Rapoport at the time and there were no listed witnesses. In follow-up correspondences with RFE/RL through early November, the police continued to say they did not suspect foul play.

Rapoport had recently moved back to Washington after spending several years working in finance in Ukraine. He told RFE/RL in an interview in Washington in June that business had been tough due to the country’s high political risk and war with Russia.

While some friends said they did not believe he would have committed suicide, others said he had appeared depressed.

A native of Latvia and a fluent Russian speaker, Rapoport emigrated with his family to the United States in 1980. After graduating from a U.S. university, he moved to Russia in the early 1990s as a wave of privatizations swept across the country.

The sale of former state-owned companies created a booming stock market, minting a new generation of millionaires, Russian and foreign.

Rapoport was respected within Russian financial circles, where he worked for more than a decade at a local brokerage called CenterInvest, making his way up to managing partner. He claimed his clients included some of the nation's wealthiest tycoons.

In 2007, he opened a swanky nightclub in downtown Moscow called Soho Rooms, which became the go-to location for Moscow’s elite.

In 2012, he left Russia and returned to the United States, saying the stock brokerage industry that had made him a fortune "had died" as commission fees shrunk with improvements in technology.

But in a media interview prior to his departure, he also criticized the direction Russia had taken under Putin and expressed support for Navalny, who was jailed last year on what Western governments say were trumped-up charges.

“It has really become unbearable to live in Russia,” Rapoport told media outlet FinParty in June of that year. “We are all now dependent on one ruler. If this person decides that you will give birth to his child, then you will give birth, and if he decide to put you in prison, then you will serve time.”

He told FinParty that he would give up his American citizenship and return to Russia if Navalny became president, saying the opposition leader was sincere in his desire to fight corruption.

“He is a real hero of our time and deserves respect,” Rapoport said of Navalny.

Rapoport’s frustration with Russia and his decision to leave may have been triggered by pressure on his businesses, friends and family have said.

Under Putin, the raiding of profitable businesses by -- or with the help of -- the nation’s security services has flourished. Rapoport allegedly lost his stake in Soho Rooms when his partners teamed up with security officials.

"Our flight to Washington is in 12 hours. It's sad to leave Russia, but for thoughtful people, living here has become unbearable and disgusting," Rapoport wrote on his Facebook page on June 13, 2012.

When Rapoport moved to Washington, where he said his parents lived, he set up a company called Rapoport Capital to advise and assist technology startups as well as venture capital funds on fundraising options.

In 2016, four years after leaving Russia, Rapoport set up an office in Kyiv and opened a private equity fund. It was tough going. Ukraine’s economy struggled amid an ongoing war with Russia-backed separatists in two eastern regions and the slow implementation of Western-backed reforms.

In social-media posts over the ensuing years, he was a vocal supporter of Ukraine and an outspoken critic of Putin.

Rapoport gained a degree of publicity in January 2017 after The New York Times reported that the daughter and son-in-law of newly elected President Donald Trump had purchased a mansion owned by him and his first wife. The mansion was located in an exclusive neighborhood of the U.S. capital.

In 2018, the open-source investigative organization Bellingcat reported that Rapoport, who was Jewish, had been the creator of a fictional persona named David Jewberg, who was frequently quoted in Ukrainian media as a senior Pentagon analyst.

With reporting by Todd Prince in Washington, D.C. and Mike Eckel in Prague

ADarwinAward on November 17th, 2022 at 16:10 UTC »

The court's ruling convicted two Russians and a pro-Moscow Ukrainian separatist in absentia and sentenced them to life imprisonment. One Russian was acquitted because of a lack of evidence.

For those unfamiliar, “in absentia” means they don’t have them in custody.

DonHopkins on November 17th, 2022 at 15:30 UTC »

https://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article130605735/Die-Angst-der-Russen-in-den-Niederlanden.html

Die Angst der Russen in den Niederlanden

[...] Hoffen auf die Untersuchungen

Nach dem Abschuss des Passagierflugzeugs haben viele Niederländer ihr Urteil über den Tod von 193 Landsleuten gefällt: Sie geben der russischen Regierung die Schuld. Wut und Frust entladen sich.

Marina Smirnova, sagt: „Ich hoffe, dass uns niemand mit einem Baseballschläger verprügelt.“ Dabei lacht sie, aber ihr ist anzusehen, dass sie sich Sorgen macht. Vladislav Sadykov glaubt, dass die Untersuchungen den Beweis erbringen, dass die russische Regierung nichts für den Absturz des Flugzeugs kann.

Niederländer, mit denen er über die Katastrophe sprach, habe er von seiner Meinung überzeugen können. Er fürchtet sich nicht. Und Irene Boesten meint, alles werde gut, sobald die Niederländer erkennen, dass die westlichen Medien nicht als einzige Informationsquelle taugen. Die russische Presse sei besser, sagt Boesten und streichelt ihren mitgebrachten Hund.

Der Cocker Spaniel ist eineinhalb und schwarz, sein Name ist Putin.

Translated from German:

The fear of the Russians in the Netherlands

After the downing of the passenger plane, many Dutch people have passed their verdict on the deaths of 193 compatriots: they blame the Russian government. Anger and frustration are released.

[...] Hoping for the investigations

Marina Smirnova, says: "I hope nobody hits us with a baseball bat." She laughs, but looks worried. Vladislav Sadykov believes that the investigations will prove that the Russian government is not responsible for the crash of the plane.

He was able to convince Dutch people with whom he spoke about the disaster of his opinion. He is not afraid. And Irene Boesten believes that everything will be fine as soon as the Dutch realize that the western media is not the only source of information. The Russian press is better, says Boesten and pets the dog she has brought with her.

The cocker spaniel is one and a half and black, his name is Putin.

https://www.groene.nl/artikel/gekwetste-zielen--2

Russen in Nederland blijven loyaal aan Rusland: Gekwetste zielen

Sadykov maakt zich net als veel andere Russen in de Bonbonnière zorgen over de toegenomen spanningen tussen Nederland en Rusland. Hij merkt dat zijn Nederlandse vrienden anders naar de situatie kijken dan hij. Zij verdedigen altijd de ‘westerse blik’. Dat is vervreemdend. Sadykov probeert in gesprekken met vrienden de vooroordelen over Rusland weg te nemen. Hij komt met tegenargumenten en zegt dan dat er nog helemaal geen bewijs is tegen Rusland. Je kunt niet zomaar Rusland de schuld geven, vindt hij: ‘Je moet de feiten laten spreken.’ En hij is ervan overtuigd dat die feiten zullen uitwijzen dat de Russische regering niet verantwoordelijk is voor het neerschieten van de MH17.

Translated from Dutch:

Russians in the Netherlands remain loyal to Russia: Hurt souls

Sadykov, like many other Russians in the Bonbonnière, is concerned about the increased tensions between the Netherlands and Russia. He notices that his Dutch friends look at the situation differently than he does. They always defend the 'western view'. That is alienating. Sadykov tries to dispel prejudices about Russia in conversations with friends. He comes up with counterarguments and then says that there is no evidence against Russia at all. You can't just blame Russia, he says: "You have to let the facts speak for themselves." And he is convinced that those facts will show that the Russian government is not responsible for the downing of MH17.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wuxdmBNkAQ&t=16s

Russian Community in The Netherlands Maastricht: Русский Дом

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEW7_EBOtyM&t=37m38s

Суставная гимнастика

hieronymusanonymous on November 17th, 2022 at 14:21 UTC »

"The court is of the opinion that MH17 was brought down by the firing of a BUK missile from a farm field near Pervomaisk, killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew members," presiding Judge Hendrik Steenhuis said.

. . .

Steenhuis said the court believed Russia had overall control at the time of the separatist forces in eastern Ukraine. The crash scattered wreckage and bodies over farmland and fields of sunflowers.