Russia refuses to cooperate with Estonia in investigating Kohver case

Photo: Jaanus Piirsalu

Russian authorities do not wish to cooperate with Estonia in the criminal case that was launched by Estonian investigative bodies in regard to the kidnapping of Eston Kohver, the staffer of the Internal Security Service (ISS) who was deprived of his freedom on Estonian territory and taken to Russia by unidentified individuals coming from Russia on Sept. 5, 2014.

«In the framework of the investigation the Office of the Prosecutor General received a negative answer from Russia to its rogatory letter and we have had no other contacts,» spokespeople for the Office of the Prosecutor General told BNS. They added that no additional evidence has been received in addition to what was initially collected.

The office also said that it does not wish to comment on the information published in the media regarding the Kohver case nor on any evidence collected by Russia.

Kohver who was engaged in stopping cross-border smuggling, might have crossed a line in Russia's criminal world which is controlled by not only criminals but also people who actually hold the power in the country, Andrey Kuzichkin, a political refugee living in Estonia and former head of the Tomsk Region's culture department, told the daily Postimees at the end of last week.

According to Kuzichkin he has heard from sources that already in May 2014 Kohver was warned that his activity had irritated the Russian security service FSB.

The ISS said on Sept. 5, 2014 that a member of their staff had been deprived of his freedom on Estonian territory near the checkpoint of Luhamaa on the Estonian-Russian border and taken to Russia by unidentified individuals coming from Russia at 9 a.m. that morning. The security agent, who was performing official duties related to the prevention of cross-border crime, was taken to Russia at gunpoint using physical force. The abduction was preceded by interference of operational radio communication and use of a smoke grenade from the direction of Russia.

Kohver was held in the Lefortovo prison of Moscow until his transfer to Pskov for the trial.