This morning, it was one full week since security police official Eston Kohver was snatched from Estonian territory, while near border line, and hauled to Russia. At the moment, the man is in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison accused in espionage – with nothing pointing towards a swift solution and the Estonian’s return back home.
For starters, Estonian authorities acted in the spirit of Mr Kohver’s kidnapping perhaps being a misunderstanding, or at least unapproved from the top. In the hopes of Estonian Security Police – Kapo, as we call it – the issue was solved soon, and quietly. That would explain our rather soft rhetoric, the absence of sharp statements, and the unwillingness to blow the thing even bigger than it unavoidably became.
Even on the Russian side, signs were sought of a fast-track solution. As an example of that, the Russian state TV’s angriest program, Dmitri Kiselyov’s «News of the Week» (Vesti Nedeli) didn’t cover the Eston Kohver case on Sunday. When it comes to propaganda, an «Estonian spy seized» could have yielded a far bigger blast: the statement by FSB and video material aired via Pervy Kanal were quite laconic.
Even so, as shown by the days now gone by, vain were the hopes of a «soft» solution. If not before, since learning that the Estonian official was transported from Pskov to a Moscow prison, we have had to seriously consider the release of Eston Kohver shaping up as a long-term endeavour for Estonia and allies.
Recovered from the head-scratching of the last week-end, the Estonian state agencies have gotten to working for Mr Kohver with greater determination. Last Friday, neither Kapo nor Prosecutor’s Office were able to show the slightest evidence to their main message – that Eston Kohver was kidnapped from Estonian soil –, not even the basic map of the location.
Immediately, that got reflected in international media where the incident was painted in a hesitant manner – are the Estonian allegations really true? Regardless that, rather recently, some channels had pulled out all stops to praise our Kapo.
By today, they’ve published the border violation site inspection papers as signed by deputy border representatives of both Estonia and Russia. Experienced Russian lawyers have been employed to represent Mr Kohver in court. The US State Department has called upon Russia to release Mr Kohver, as also demanded from Russian ambassador by the UK minister of European affairs.
Nevertheless, we need to brace for a rough ride securing a political decision in Russia for the release of Mr Kohver. Western allies need to show coordinated action and take serious steps for the freedom of the Estonian official. To public sanctions towards Russia, steps by special services will doubtless be added. These will be no open show. But with an abundance of collaborators of Russian intelligence busy in the West, in the light of the Kohver case these guys can no longer assume that up-to-now unwritten laws will continue to keep them from trouble.