1
00:00:21,866 --> 00:00:24,200
>> A disturbing pattern of 
targeted killings and

2
00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:26,833
assassination attempts against 
figures who challenge

3
00:00:26,833 --> 00:00:29,266
Russian President 
Vladimir Putin.

4
00:00:32,133 --> 00:00:35,066
>> Did you ever think 
you’d be investigating

5
00:00:35,066 --> 00:00:37,133
an assassination 
plot against yourself?

6
00:00:37,133 --> 00:00:38,433
>> No.

7
00:00:38,433 --> 00:00:40,866
>> Being on Putin’s kill list 
has led to me being

8
00:00:40,866 --> 00:00:42,533
separated from my family.

9
00:00:42,533 --> 00:00:44,566
This is how the regime likes to 
play the game,

10
00:00:44,566 --> 00:00:47,566
stripping away the fundamental 
things of your life one by one.

11
00:00:50,333 --> 00:00:53,266
>> The prominent Kremlin critic 
and Russian opposition leader,

12
00:00:53,266 --> 00:00:55,800
Vladimir Kara-Murza, was 
arrested.

13
00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:57,433
>> It’s important to remember 
that the regime of

14
00:00:57,433 --> 00:00:59,300
Vladimir Putin is not just an 
authoritarian regime,

15
00:00:59,300 --> 00:01:00,700
it is a regime of murderers.

16
00:01:00,700 --> 00:01:04,933
>> Courage is not the absence of 
fear but rather the assessment

17
00:01:04,933 --> 00:01:08,033
that something else is more 
important than fear.

18
00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:15,466
>> It’s almost like a bounty 
system from the old wild west

19
00:01:15,466 --> 00:01:18,233
where you don’t know how many 
killers are out there for you.

20
00:01:18,233 --> 00:01:20,633
The only hope is for 
this regime to fall

21
00:01:20,633 --> 00:01:22,433
before the 
order is fulfilled.

22
00:01:22,433 --> 00:01:25,633
>> I think it shows they are no 
longer afraid.

23
00:01:25,633 --> 00:01:29,400
That pretension of being a 
democratic state has vanished.

24
00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:31,966
>> NARRATOR: Now on FRONTLINE, 
a special presentation of

25
00:01:31,966 --> 00:01:56,100
the award-winning film, 
Antidote.

26
00:01:57,933 --> 00:01:59,100
(metal rattling)

27
00:02:04,133 --> 00:02:05,533
(elevator doors open)

28
00:02:05,533 --> 00:02:08,000
(keys jangling)

29
00:02:09,533 --> 00:02:10,766
(door shuts)

30
00:02:19,266 --> 00:02:20,600
(line ringing out)

31
00:02:22,266 --> 00:02:23,533
>> CHRISTO'S FATHER (speaking 
Bulgarian, on speaker):

32
00:02:23,533 --> 00:02:24,466
>> CHRISTO (speaking Bulgarian):

33
00:02:26,500 --> 00:02:28,600
>> CHRISTO'S FATHER:

34
00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:33,766
(chuckles)

35
00:02:33,766 --> 00:02:35,700
>> CHRISTO:

36
00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:40,433
>> CHRISTO'S FATHER:

37
00:02:40,433 --> 00:02:44,000
>> CHRISTO:

38
00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:45,266
>> CHRISTO'S FATHER:

39
00:02:45,266 --> 00:02:48,333
>> CHRISTO:

40
00:02:48,333 --> 00:02:49,800
>> CHRISTO'S FATHER:

41
00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:51,733
>> CHRISTO:

42
00:02:57,700 --> 00:03:01,900
(Christo's father coughs, 
sniffles)

43
00:03:04,033 --> 00:03:06,700
>> CHRISTO'S FATHER:

44
00:03:17,166 --> 00:03:19,100
>> CHRISTO:

45
00:03:21,566 --> 00:03:27,733
♪ ♪

46
00:03:27,733 --> 00:03:30,033
(church bell rings)

47
00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:37,033
>> As the lead 
Russia investigator

48
00:03:37,033 --> 00:03:39,533
for the groundbreaking 
news outlet Bellingcat,

49
00:03:39,533 --> 00:03:41,900
Christo Grozev has been 
the driving force

50
00:03:41,900 --> 00:03:44,866
behind a series 
of stunning revelations.

51
00:03:44,866 --> 00:03:47,966
Pioneers in the use 
of publicly available data

52
00:03:47,966 --> 00:03:52,133
and social media for 
investigative journalism.

53
00:03:52,133 --> 00:03:54,966
>> Out front now, 
Christo Grozev, he was able

54
00:03:54,966 --> 00:03:56,833
to identify the Russians 
involved

55
00:03:56,833 --> 00:04:00,266
in poisoning Putin opposition 
leader, Alexei Navalny.

56
00:04:00,266 --> 00:04:02,800
>> CHRISTO: We're disabling 
more and more agents.

57
00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:05,933
Burning whole sequences 
of names.

58
00:04:05,933 --> 00:04:08,766
>> Grozev calls it the art 
of reconstructing a crime

59
00:04:08,766 --> 00:04:10,933
based on digital breadcrumbs.

60
00:04:10,933 --> 00:04:13,900
A new form of journalism 
that takes human sources

61
00:04:13,900 --> 00:04:16,900
and their personal agendas 
out of the equation.

62
00:04:16,900 --> 00:04:18,266
(phone ringing)

63
00:04:18,266 --> 00:04:21,066
(digital trilling)

64
00:04:21,066 --> 00:04:23,100
>> Breaking news-- 
in the past few minutes

65
00:04:23,100 --> 00:04:26,066
three Bulgarians have 
been convicted at the Old Bailey

66
00:04:26,066 --> 00:04:27,800
of spying for Russia.

67
00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:29,000
>> The group targeted

68
00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:32,700
opponents of Russian 
President Vladimir Putin.

69
00:04:32,700 --> 00:04:35,166
On a flight from London

70
00:04:35,166 --> 00:04:38,333
to Vienna they filmed 
journalist Christo Grozev

71
00:04:38,333 --> 00:04:41,133
and planned to kidnap him.

72
00:04:41,133 --> 00:04:45,166
>> The minute the Kremlin 
perceives you as part

73
00:04:45,166 --> 00:04:48,033
of the intelligence game, 
you're a target.

74
00:04:48,033 --> 00:04:49,900
>> I believe 
in the 21st century,

75
00:04:49,900 --> 00:04:54,066
the Russian authorities 
are using an assassin squad

76
00:04:54,066 --> 00:04:56,566
to eliminate,

77
00:04:56,566 --> 00:04:59,600
physically eliminate, 
the opponents of Putin's regime.

78
00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:02,300
(phone ringing, scribbling)

79
00:05:02,300 --> 00:05:05,733
>> Bellingcat is the tool 
for the deep establishment.

80
00:05:05,733 --> 00:05:09,266
>> It's like in a war; 
when you are a soldier,

81
00:05:09,266 --> 00:05:10,466
you understand that the risk

82
00:05:10,466 --> 00:05:12,233
is a part of the rules of 
the game.

83
00:05:13,466 --> 00:05:15,133
The world has changed.

84
00:05:19,300 --> 00:05:21,000
(footsteps echoing)

85
00:05:23,066 --> 00:05:25,600
>> Did you ever think 
you'd be investigating

86
00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:28,500
an assassination plot 
against yourself?

87
00:05:28,500 --> 00:05:31,100
>> CHRISTO: No.

88
00:05:31,100 --> 00:05:35,966
No, clearly this is 
from the realm of...

89
00:05:35,966 --> 00:05:38,933
a really, really crazy novel, 
yeah.

90
00:05:38,933 --> 00:05:42,333
(stammering): 
It doesn't happen, really...

91
00:05:43,733 --> 00:05:45,233
until it does.

92
00:05:47,700 --> 00:05:49,633
(car door shuts)

93
00:05:49,633 --> 00:05:53,933
(ignition starts)

94
00:05:55,100 --> 00:05:56,333
(seatbelt clicks)

95
00:06:05,100 --> 00:06:08,300
>> CHRISTO 
(speaking Russian, on speaker):

96
00:06:09,366 --> 00:06:14,766
>> DRIVER (speaking Russian):

97
00:06:23,133 --> 00:06:26,666
>> CHRISTO:

98
00:06:26,666 --> 00:06:27,600
>> DRIVER:

99
00:06:30,466 --> 00:06:33,000
>> CHRISTO: In my work as a 
journalist investigating Russia,

100
00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:34,766
I've constantly been challenged

101
00:06:34,766 --> 00:06:37,066
to find new ways 
to get the truth out.

102
00:06:37,066 --> 00:06:38,600
In this case,

103
00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:41,600
helping an extremely valuable 
whistleblower,

104
00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:45,866
a scientist from 
Putin's poison program, escape.

105
00:06:45,866 --> 00:06:48,600
>> Russian opposition leader 
Alexei Navalny is unconscious

106
00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:50,833
on a ventilator in a hospital 
after an alleged poisoning.

107
00:06:50,833 --> 00:06:53,666
>> Sergei Skripal 
and his daughter were poisoned

108
00:06:53,666 --> 00:06:57,466
by a military grade nerve agent 
of a type developed by Russia.

109
00:06:57,466 --> 00:06:59,966
>> Fighting for their lives 
in a U.K. hospital.

110
00:06:59,966 --> 00:07:01,866
Suspected of being poisoned

111
00:07:01,866 --> 00:07:04,233
while they were 
sitting on a park bench.

112
00:07:04,233 --> 00:07:06,466
>> The case fits 
a disturbing pattern

113
00:07:06,466 --> 00:07:08,800
of targeted killings 
and assassination attempts

114
00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:10,566
against figures who challenge

115
00:07:10,566 --> 00:07:12,600
Russian President 
Vladimir Putin.

116
00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:14,700
>> PUTIN (in Russian):

117
00:07:29,933 --> 00:07:32,200
>> CHRISTO: This whistleblower 
is determined to tell the world

118
00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:34,200
how the state makes 
deadly poisons

119
00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:36,366
and targets political opponents.

120
00:07:37,833 --> 00:07:39,700
So I'm setting up his escape 
across the border

121
00:07:39,700 --> 00:07:41,166
with a trusted contact.

122
00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:45,200
>> DRIVER:

123
00:07:46,166 --> 00:07:47,166
>> DIRECTOR: Mm-hmm.

124
00:07:47,166 --> 00:07:49,100
>> DRIVER:

125
00:07:51,900 --> 00:07:53,100
(Director responding in Russian)

126
00:07:56,333 --> 00:07:58,266
>> DIRECTOR: Mm-hmm.

127
00:08:00,900 --> 00:08:02,766
>> CHRISTO: If he gets caught 
crossing the border

128
00:08:02,766 --> 00:08:04,166
he will be sent back to Russia

129
00:08:04,166 --> 00:08:06,833
and probably convicted 
of treason, or even worse.

130
00:08:08,366 --> 00:08:09,533
We've agreed a meeting point

131
00:08:09,533 --> 00:08:11,133
in the middle of the 
countryside,

132
00:08:11,133 --> 00:08:13,266
but even here there 
are border guards everywhere;

133
00:08:13,266 --> 00:08:15,866
it's incredibly 
dangerous for him.

134
00:08:17,733 --> 00:08:22,966
(phone ringing out)

135
00:08:24,500 --> 00:08:28,400
>> WHISTLEBLOWER 
(speaking Russian, on speaker):

136
00:08:31,833 --> 00:08:33,700
>> DRIVER:

137
00:08:33,700 --> 00:08:35,566
>> WHISTLEBLOWER: 
>> DRIVER:

138
00:08:54,233 --> 00:08:55,666
(phone chimes)

139
00:08:55,666 --> 00:08:57,600
>> DIRECTOR (in Russian):

140
00:09:03,700 --> 00:09:05,633
>> DRIVER:

141
00:09:07,166 --> 00:09:09,033
(beeping)

142
00:09:22,766 --> 00:09:25,566
>> CAMERAMAN (in Russian): 
>> DIRECTOR:

143
00:09:26,300 --> 00:09:28,400
>> DIRECTOR: 
He's coming through the field.

144
00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:32,533
(beeping)

145
00:09:32,533 --> 00:09:35,333
(grunting, panting)

146
00:09:35,333 --> 00:09:37,266
>> DRIVER: 
>> WHISTLEBLOWER: Who are you?

147
00:09:40,100 --> 00:09:42,066
(panting continues) 
>> DIRECTOR:

148
00:09:42,066 --> 00:09:44,833
>> WHISTLEBLOWER (breathing 
heavily): I... have done it.

149
00:09:44,833 --> 00:09:46,400
(panting heavily)

150
00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:48,166
>> DIRECTOR:

151
00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:50,366
(Director laughs)

152
00:09:50,366 --> 00:09:51,933
>> DRIVER:

153
00:09:51,933 --> 00:09:55,733
>> WHISTLEBLOWER 
(in Russian):

154
00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:04,300
♪ ♪

155
00:10:04,300 --> 00:10:06,066
(cork pops)

156
00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:08,933
(exhales)

157
00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:11,433
(exhales)

158
00:10:14,233 --> 00:10:16,566
>> DRIVER:

159
00:10:16,566 --> 00:10:18,066
>> WHISTLEBLOWER:

160
00:10:18,366 --> 00:10:20,300
She is very glad for me.

161
00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:25,133
(in Russian):

162
00:10:34,100 --> 00:10:39,166
♪ ♪

163
00:10:41,766 --> 00:10:43,066
>> CHRISTO: 
The adrenaline you get,

164
00:10:43,066 --> 00:10:44,966
the adrenaline rush 
from being able

165
00:10:44,966 --> 00:10:48,766
to outsmart the scariest 
and, and allegedly

166
00:10:48,766 --> 00:10:51,066
most sophisticated 
intelligence services

167
00:10:51,066 --> 00:10:53,666
in the world is unparalleled.

168
00:10:53,666 --> 00:10:57,133
(cheers and applause)

169
00:10:57,133 --> 00:10:59,066
>> PUTIN:

170
00:11:11,700 --> 00:11:15,200
(cheers and applause)

171
00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:16,566
>> If you're Vladimir Putin,

172
00:11:16,566 --> 00:11:19,066
the list of things that 
cause you eternal headaches

173
00:11:19,066 --> 00:11:20,433
is very long,

174
00:11:20,433 --> 00:11:22,700
but somewhere near the top 
of that list

175
00:11:22,700 --> 00:11:26,233
is probably an oddly-named 
investigative consortium

176
00:11:26,233 --> 00:11:28,033
known as Bellingcat.

177
00:11:28,033 --> 00:11:30,933
Bellingcat's work was 
being cited as key evidence

178
00:11:30,933 --> 00:11:33,200
in some of the highest courts 
in the land.

179
00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:37,100
Their work got a boost with 
the arrival of Christo Grozev,

180
00:11:37,100 --> 00:11:39,566
a Bulgarian journalist 
who brought with him

181
00:11:39,566 --> 00:11:41,733
a wealth of experience 
in chasing corruption

182
00:11:41,733 --> 00:11:44,333
and criminality across Europe.

183
00:11:44,333 --> 00:11:48,333
(indistinct chatter)

184
00:11:51,533 --> 00:11:53,666
>> Good evening, 
good evening, everybody.

185
00:11:53,666 --> 00:11:55,866
Welcome to De Balie; 
my name's Yoeri Albrecht

186
00:11:55,866 --> 00:11:57,433
I'm the director of De Balie.

187
00:11:57,433 --> 00:11:59,800
Tonight, 
we're very, very happy to have

188
00:11:59,800 --> 00:12:03,533
the rock star of, of, 
investigative journalism,

189
00:12:03,533 --> 00:12:05,833
the lead investigator 
at Bellingcat,

190
00:12:05,833 --> 00:12:08,066
Christo Grozev.

191
00:12:08,066 --> 00:12:13,000
(applause)

192
00:12:17,800 --> 00:12:19,833
>> If Russia 
isn't talking about us,

193
00:12:19,833 --> 00:12:22,166
you know, when 
we're publishing this stuff,

194
00:12:22,166 --> 00:12:23,966
then that would be 
kind of almost more worrying

195
00:12:23,966 --> 00:12:25,733
than when they are talking 
about us,

196
00:12:25,733 --> 00:12:28,200
because when they are 
responding in the way they do,

197
00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:30,166
especially when 
it's so aggressive

198
00:12:30,166 --> 00:12:31,966
in some circumstances, you know

199
00:12:31,966 --> 00:12:33,433
they're worried 
about what we're saying

200
00:12:33,433 --> 00:12:35,533
so when they're reacting to us,

201
00:12:35,533 --> 00:12:37,133
we know it's because we found 
the truth,

202
00:12:37,133 --> 00:12:39,300
not because 
we've made a good guess.

203
00:12:39,300 --> 00:12:42,166
>> So you do open source 
investigations,

204
00:12:42,166 --> 00:12:43,600
what does that mean?

205
00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:45,833
>> That can be information 
that includes

206
00:12:45,833 --> 00:12:47,566
social media posts,

207
00:12:47,566 --> 00:12:49,333
things like Google Street View,

208
00:12:49,333 --> 00:12:51,033
satellite imagery,

209
00:12:51,033 --> 00:12:52,866
and really anything 
that's available to the public.

210
00:12:54,766 --> 00:12:55,833
Over the last few years,

211
00:12:55,833 --> 00:12:57,466
we've used that kind 
of information

212
00:12:57,466 --> 00:12:59,266
to uncover poisonings, 
expose hitmen.

213
00:12:59,266 --> 00:13:00,500
(munitions firing)

214
00:13:00,500 --> 00:13:03,566
With the Russian 
invasion of Ukraine as well,

215
00:13:03,566 --> 00:13:06,100
it's become not just 
journalism but accountability

216
00:13:06,100 --> 00:13:07,800
for war crimes 
and those sorts of things.

217
00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:11,966
>> CHRISTO: "History was 
written by the victors,"

218
00:13:11,966 --> 00:13:14,300
different now, different.

219
00:13:14,300 --> 00:13:15,966
It's transparent, 
it's open source.

220
00:13:15,966 --> 00:13:18,333
>> And, and years 
after the fact normally.

221
00:13:18,333 --> 00:13:19,966
>> CHRISTO: Yeah and, and that, 
that should make people,

222
00:13:19,966 --> 00:13:21,400
especially 
in commanding positions,

223
00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:25,566
think twice before, 
before taking orders.

224
00:13:26,833 --> 00:13:29,433
>> When you started 
working with Christo,

225
00:13:29,433 --> 00:13:31,700
did he have 
an unusual talent for this?

226
00:13:31,700 --> 00:13:34,666
>> Yeah, at first I was like, 
this is pretty crazy,

227
00:13:34,666 --> 00:13:36,166
I, I do wonder where he's 
getting this from.

228
00:13:36,166 --> 00:13:38,233
But because he could present 
the sources

229
00:13:38,233 --> 00:13:39,700
and explain where it 
was coming from,

230
00:13:39,700 --> 00:13:41,933
and having seen

231
00:13:41,933 --> 00:13:45,766
and understood just the depths 
of corruption in Russia,

232
00:13:45,766 --> 00:13:48,366
the state is gathering huge 
amounts of information

233
00:13:48,366 --> 00:13:51,066
about its citizens but the 
citizens are selling

234
00:13:51,066 --> 00:13:53,566
that information to 
anyone who wants to buy stuff.

235
00:13:53,566 --> 00:13:56,633
Christo learnt how to 
navigate this particular space;

236
00:13:56,633 --> 00:13:59,666
all this data he's 
collected is hugely valuable.

237
00:14:01,133 --> 00:14:03,566
>> Then it becomes very personal 
of course;

238
00:14:03,566 --> 00:14:05,433
it's not very dangerous?

239
00:14:07,866 --> 00:14:10,166
>> CHRISTO: Yeah.

240
00:14:10,166 --> 00:14:13,000
Some people say crazy, yeah.

241
00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:15,733
I think it also depends on what 
kind of family you have.

242
00:14:15,733 --> 00:14:17,900
Many of us in Bellingcat

243
00:14:17,900 --> 00:14:20,800
being allowed by our partners or 
wives or husbands

244
00:14:20,800 --> 00:14:24,433
to do that is also part of 
the equation

245
00:14:24,433 --> 00:14:26,166
because 
many of us would not doing,

246
00:14:26,166 --> 00:14:28,500
be doing it if we're 
not encouraged or allowed.

247
00:14:30,300 --> 00:14:34,333
>> My dad is a...

248
00:14:36,300 --> 00:14:39,400
...resourceful and determined,

249
00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:42,500
yet silly man 
who has managed to make

250
00:14:42,500 --> 00:14:47,200
one of the most dangerous men 
on the planet very angry.

251
00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:48,500
(soft chuckle)

252
00:14:48,500 --> 00:14:51,666
But he's also not the man 
he used to be;

253
00:14:51,666 --> 00:14:53,900
his life changed a lot.

254
00:14:53,900 --> 00:14:56,633
>> In what way?

255
00:14:56,633 --> 00:14:59,633
>> Well, this isn't what 
he used to do for work, right?

256
00:14:59,633 --> 00:15:02,666
He was a businessman, 
he managed radios and, and...

257
00:15:02,666 --> 00:15:04,866
>> Like radio stations? 
>> Yeah, yeah.

258
00:15:04,866 --> 00:15:08,166
And then ever since 2014,

259
00:15:08,166 --> 00:15:11,133
he started following his 
passion, which was journalism.

260
00:15:13,333 --> 00:15:15,833
I think this 
is the real Christo, this,

261
00:15:15,833 --> 00:15:17,500
this obsessive, uh,

262
00:15:17,500 --> 00:15:21,166
journalist guy 
who sifts through spreadsheets

263
00:15:21,166 --> 00:15:23,533
all night to find something.

264
00:15:25,500 --> 00:15:28,766
Also, it's a bit of a, like, 
David versus Goliath thing.

265
00:15:28,766 --> 00:15:31,233
Like it's, it's one guy with his

266
00:15:31,233 --> 00:15:33,733
crypto that he buys the 
information with

267
00:15:33,733 --> 00:15:37,266
versus 
a murderous regime, right, so.

268
00:15:39,100 --> 00:15:40,600
I, I respect him for what

269
00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:41,733
he's doing now.

270
00:15:43,633 --> 00:15:47,633
Yeah, there's challenges 
and sacrifices but I,

271
00:15:47,633 --> 00:15:50,833
I support him 100%.

272
00:15:50,833 --> 00:15:56,866
♪ ♪

273
00:16:08,566 --> 00:16:11,233
>> PUTIN:

274
00:16:41,666 --> 00:16:44,333
>> (in Russian):

275
00:17:18,166 --> 00:17:19,633
>> CHRISTO: Well, apparently

276
00:17:19,633 --> 00:17:25,166
I'm wanted by Russia, I'm on a 
federal search warrant list.

277
00:17:25,166 --> 00:17:27,366
With no explanation what for,

278
00:17:27,366 --> 00:17:30,633
what the charges are.

279
00:17:30,633 --> 00:17:32,966
And the only kind of clue 
to it is

280
00:17:32,966 --> 00:17:36,166
actually coming from a 
Russian state media outlet

281
00:17:36,166 --> 00:17:39,700
that says oh, according 
to information we have, uh,

282
00:17:39,700 --> 00:17:42,100
from a source within the police,

283
00:17:42,100 --> 00:17:46,466
Grozev is charged with, uh, 
slander on the Russian army.

284
00:17:55,366 --> 00:17:58,433
When I returned 
to my home in Vienna,

285
00:17:58,433 --> 00:18:00,966
I was confronted immediately

286
00:18:00,966 --> 00:18:03,466
with the local police saying,

287
00:18:03,466 --> 00:18:05,300
"No, no, no we have to 
ratchet up your security,

288
00:18:05,300 --> 00:18:08,266
it's not-- life is not going 
to be like it was before."

289
00:18:11,166 --> 00:18:13,833
So a lot of things 
will have to change,

290
00:18:13,833 --> 00:18:15,533
I may have 
to change the place of,

291
00:18:15,533 --> 00:18:18,533
of life for my family because 
local police is telling me

292
00:18:18,533 --> 00:18:21,066
Vienna is not an easy place 
for you to be protected.

293
00:18:23,233 --> 00:18:25,066
There are way too many Russians,

294
00:18:25,066 --> 00:18:28,333
way too many potential spies 
here that we are not aware of.

295
00:18:28,333 --> 00:18:31,666
(car horns honking)

296
00:18:33,766 --> 00:18:36,133
Ironically, thanks to my work,

297
00:18:36,133 --> 00:18:39,266
I understand better than anyone 
what this means.

298
00:19:01,633 --> 00:19:05,700
♪ ♪

299
00:19:05,700 --> 00:19:10,500
(applause)

300
00:19:10,500 --> 00:19:13,533
>> So how many Russian agents 
have you uncovered?

301
00:19:15,933 --> 00:19:18,466
>> CHRISTO: In terms of 
people of relevance

302
00:19:18,466 --> 00:19:19,833
who I've focused on,

303
00:19:19,833 --> 00:19:21,966
individually, we're about 300.

304
00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:26,500
In terms of names 
that I know are spies,

305
00:19:26,500 --> 00:19:29,266
we're talking about 5,000.

306
00:19:31,866 --> 00:19:34,566
It's one big puzzle.

307
00:19:34,566 --> 00:19:37,400
It was only when we cracked open 
the network that we understood

308
00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:40,066
the true scale of 
this secret killing machine.

309
00:19:43,666 --> 00:19:47,200
One of Putin's most infamous 
attempted assassinations

310
00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:49,533
targeted somebody who later 
became a friend of mine.

311
00:19:49,533 --> 00:19:53,900
That's Alexei Navalny, 
the Russian opposition figure.

312
00:19:59,333 --> 00:20:02,166
After Putin tried 
to kill him with poison,

313
00:20:02,166 --> 00:20:05,766
Alexei returned to Russia 
to be immediately arrested.

314
00:20:05,766 --> 00:20:08,633
Seeing him released is 
a personal ambition of mine,

315
00:20:08,633 --> 00:20:11,666
and I really believe 
we have a chance now.

316
00:20:14,633 --> 00:20:16,933
Partly because of 
our investigations,

317
00:20:16,933 --> 00:20:19,000
western countries 
holds somebody in jail

318
00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:20,633
who has 
enormous value for Putin.

319
00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:23,866
That's a man

320
00:20:23,866 --> 00:20:25,733
called Vadim Krasikov.

321
00:20:27,433 --> 00:20:30,600
>> Who is Krasikov?

322
00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:32,466
>> CHRISTO: Krasikov.

323
00:20:36,466 --> 00:20:39,100
He's a professional killer.

324
00:20:43,066 --> 00:20:47,000
One of his trademarks 
was shooting his victims

325
00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:49,000
from a bicycle while in motion.

326
00:20:56,400 --> 00:20:58,900
There are assassinations 
connected to him dating right

327
00:20:58,900 --> 00:21:02,933
back to when Putin first came 
to power in the early 2000s.

328
00:21:05,033 --> 00:21:07,233
He was finally caught in Berlin 
after shooting a man

329
00:21:07,233 --> 00:21:09,533
in broad daylight in a park.

330
00:21:13,100 --> 00:21:15,433
He refused to speak to police.

331
00:21:16,900 --> 00:21:20,700
We started to investigate and 
discovered his true identity.

332
00:21:23,033 --> 00:21:25,533
The prosecutor included

333
00:21:25,533 --> 00:21:28,533
Bellingcat's evidence, I think, 
more than 90 times

334
00:21:28,533 --> 00:21:30,466
in the, 
referenced in the indictment.

335
00:21:33,333 --> 00:21:36,200
He was then 
sentenced to life in prison.

336
00:21:39,100 --> 00:21:40,133
Putin has never been

337
00:21:40,133 --> 00:21:42,766
so vocal about defending

338
00:21:42,766 --> 00:21:45,033
a killer as 
he has been with Krasikov.

339
00:21:45,033 --> 00:21:47,900
And I have a contact in Russia 
who indicated

340
00:21:47,900 --> 00:21:50,300
that a prisoner swap involving 
Krasikov

341
00:21:50,300 --> 00:21:52,500
would be extremely interesting.

342
00:21:52,500 --> 00:21:55,833
Because all of these assassins,

343
00:21:55,833 --> 00:21:58,000
they need to be

344
00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:00,266
promised that they will be taken 
care of.

345
00:22:00,266 --> 00:22:02,266
It's how the mafia system works.

346
00:22:02,266 --> 00:22:04,733
People don't want to risk 
their life for you

347
00:22:04,733 --> 00:22:08,966
if they're going to just 
rot in jail in Berlin forever.

348
00:22:08,966 --> 00:22:11,900
He needs to 
get these people out.

349
00:22:13,933 --> 00:22:17,100
So for Krasikov alone, 
we could ask not for one,

350
00:22:17,100 --> 00:22:18,700
but for many people.

351
00:22:18,700 --> 00:22:21,700
At the top of the list 
would be Alexei Navalny

352
00:22:21,700 --> 00:22:23,866
and Vladimir Kara-Murza.

353
00:22:23,866 --> 00:22:27,566
>> Prominent Kremlin critic 
and Russian opposition leader,

354
00:22:27,566 --> 00:22:30,466
Vladimir Kara-Murza, 
was arrested.

355
00:22:30,466 --> 00:22:34,566
>> Vladimir is 
a politician and a journalist.

356
00:22:34,566 --> 00:22:36,766
He had pushed 
and lobbied for sanctions

357
00:22:36,766 --> 00:22:39,000
against Putin's regime 
for many years.

358
00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:41,133
Our investigations showed that,

359
00:22:41,133 --> 00:22:43,800
like Navalny, he was very much 
on Putin's kill list.

360
00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:47,733
And we discovered that, 
yes, he had been

361
00:22:47,733 --> 00:22:50,166
targeted for poisoning twice.

362
00:22:50,166 --> 00:22:52,600
Not once, but twice.

363
00:23:03,033 --> 00:23:04,533
>> There's a brook

364
00:23:04,533 --> 00:23:09,133
what has foxes, 
beavers, some smaller creatures

365
00:23:09,133 --> 00:23:12,400
like rabbits, chipmunks-- 
chipmunks are adorable.

366
00:23:14,300 --> 00:23:17,933
It's quiet, you can only 
hear the birds and the brook.

367
00:23:17,933 --> 00:23:21,600
I have a theory, I have 
a theory that Vladimir--

368
00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:23,066
you know, 
we moved into this house,

369
00:23:23,066 --> 00:23:26,833
I have a theory 
that he just wanted me

370
00:23:26,833 --> 00:23:31,966
to have a nice, comfortable 
environment to be worried in.

371
00:23:31,966 --> 00:23:37,566
'Cause that sounds like him 
and just to create this

372
00:23:37,566 --> 00:23:40,666
for us as a family, 
this family nest,

373
00:23:40,666 --> 00:23:44,566
but there is a lot of space for 
everyone to come together,

374
00:23:44,566 --> 00:23:48,566
spend some time together 
to eat and drink and talk.

375
00:23:48,566 --> 00:23:51,966
Um, well one day, maybe.

376
00:23:51,966 --> 00:23:54,666
Yeah, one day.

377
00:23:58,866 --> 00:24:01,500
>> CHRISTO: Following 
the Navalny investigation,

378
00:24:01,500 --> 00:24:04,733
we had an abundance 
of residual data

379
00:24:04,733 --> 00:24:08,000
because the team of poisoners

380
00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:09,700
they had traveled many, many,

381
00:24:09,700 --> 00:24:13,100
many hundreds of times 
over the last ten years

382
00:24:13,100 --> 00:24:17,200
and only about 15% of 
those trips could be correlated

383
00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:19,966
to places where Navalny 
had been, so the question was

384
00:24:19,966 --> 00:24:22,733
where else had they been? 
Who else had they targeted?

385
00:24:22,733 --> 00:24:26,266
And in trying to reconstruct

386
00:24:26,266 --> 00:24:27,933
and find overlaps with 
well-known

387
00:24:27,933 --> 00:24:32,733
Russian opposition figures, 
we found Vladimir Kara-Murza.

388
00:24:32,733 --> 00:24:35,766
Both before the first 
and the second poisoning,

389
00:24:35,766 --> 00:24:39,833
members of the kill team 
had been near him,

390
00:24:39,833 --> 00:24:42,466
the day before 
he fell into a coma.

391
00:24:42,466 --> 00:24:47,433
>> Bellingcat's investigation, 
it has gave us answers

392
00:24:47,433 --> 00:24:51,366
that we've been 
desperately looking for.

393
00:24:51,366 --> 00:24:53,966
They identified a team

394
00:24:53,966 --> 00:24:58,200
of assassins in the service of 
the Russian state

395
00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:01,100
that had followed my husband

396
00:25:01,100 --> 00:25:03,200
on his trips across Russia

397
00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:07,800
continuously throughout years. 
>> So sinister.

398
00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:10,333
>> It is sinister

399
00:25:10,333 --> 00:25:14,166
to realize that there is a team 
of assassins

400
00:25:14,166 --> 00:25:17,766
whose only job 
is to physically eliminate

401
00:25:17,766 --> 00:25:21,433
the opponents of the Russian 
government.

402
00:25:21,433 --> 00:25:25,066
A team of assassins in the 
service of the Russian state

403
00:25:25,066 --> 00:25:27,833
in the 21st century.

404
00:25:27,833 --> 00:25:32,433
Yeah, it is, 
sinister is not even the word.

405
00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:45,233
I mean, when he got back on 
his feet

406
00:25:45,233 --> 00:25:47,600
and could barely walk,

407
00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:51,466
I mean the wind could have blown 
him away like Mary Poppins.

408
00:25:53,666 --> 00:25:56,766
And he took his cane 
and wobbled back to Moscow.

409
00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:01,566
Now...

410
00:26:01,566 --> 00:26:05,733
...he's basically 
held by the same people

411
00:26:05,733 --> 00:26:08,966
who have tried 
to kill him twice.

412
00:26:18,466 --> 00:26:21,133
He was charged 
with high treason.

413
00:26:23,633 --> 00:26:25,800
He's currently facing 
up to 24 years

414
00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:27,300
of strict regime.

415
00:26:30,833 --> 00:26:32,533
>> OFFICER (in Russian):

416
00:26:37,933 --> 00:26:39,733
>> (in Russian):

417
00:26:44,366 --> 00:26:48,900
>> And now Evgenia Kara-Murza, 
the wife of Vladimir Kara-Murza.

418
00:26:48,900 --> 00:26:50,866
And, Evgenia, I really 
appreciate your time tonight.

419
00:26:50,866 --> 00:26:53,800
So your husband was in court 
today, I know it was a pre-trial

420
00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:56,800
hearing and then his 
detention period gets extended.

421
00:26:56,800 --> 00:26:59,966
What can you tell us 
about where his case even

422
00:26:59,966 --> 00:27:01,433
stands right now?

423
00:27:01,433 --> 00:27:03,766
>> My husband's pre-trial 
detention has indeed

424
00:27:03,766 --> 00:27:05,600
been extended, but the trial,

425
00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:07,600
the actual trial 
is about to start,

426
00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:10,566
it's gonna be held, uh, 
within one to two weeks

427
00:27:10,566 --> 00:27:12,666
according to 
Vladimir's lawyer in Moscow.

428
00:27:12,666 --> 00:27:17,366
Uh, so we're waiting for, 
for it to begin.

429
00:27:18,933 --> 00:27:22,466
I understand 
that the conditions of his uh,

430
00:27:22,466 --> 00:27:25,833
detention are definitely 
not good for his health

431
00:27:25,833 --> 00:27:28,066
after the two poisonings.

432
00:27:28,066 --> 00:27:32,100
And I understand that uh, 
the symptoms are coming back.

433
00:27:34,300 --> 00:27:35,566
>> Right, well, Evgenia,

434
00:27:35,566 --> 00:27:36,866
I appreciate your time,

435
00:27:36,866 --> 00:27:38,400
grateful to you for 
joining us, thank you.

436
00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:40,766
>> Thank you very much.

437
00:27:43,033 --> 00:27:46,966
(camera shutters clicking)

438
00:27:50,466 --> 00:27:53,833
(distant sirens blaring)

439
00:27:55,666 --> 00:27:58,933
>> Christo Grozev, lead Russia 
investigator for Bellingcat.

440
00:27:58,933 --> 00:28:00,866
Christo was just placed

441
00:28:00,866 --> 00:28:03,500
(on TV): 
on Russia's wanted list.

442
00:28:03,500 --> 00:28:04,866
So Christo let me just start...

443
00:28:04,866 --> 00:28:06,200
>> CHRISTO: I was in New York

444
00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:08,233
working. 
>> Why do you think

445
00:28:08,233 --> 00:28:11,800
Russia and Putin now have just 
put you on the wanted list?

446
00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:13,600
>> CHRISTO: I don't know, 
the answer is uh,

447
00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:14,866
there's no explanation,

448
00:28:14,866 --> 00:28:17,333
I think it's a fatwa 
of some sort,

449
00:28:17,333 --> 00:28:19,200
I mean it's like a, a message

450
00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:22,066
that to other journalists 
as well that don't come

451
00:28:22,066 --> 00:28:24,600
and don't meddle into, don't 
do investigations in Russia.

452
00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:28,866
(passing traffic, car horns)

453
00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:45,733
(din of the train station)

454
00:28:48,066 --> 00:28:50,700
(train bell ringing)

455
00:28:50,700 --> 00:28:52,766
Literally, on the way to the 
airport I got a message

456
00:28:52,766 --> 00:28:55,333
from the security services.

457
00:28:55,333 --> 00:28:57,433
"We just found out there's an

458
00:28:57,433 --> 00:28:59,866
"imminent and direct threat 
to your life

459
00:28:59,866 --> 00:29:02,533
if you were to land 
in any European country."

460
00:29:10,766 --> 00:29:14,900
♪ ♪

461
00:29:14,900 --> 00:29:18,066
I think it's the first time 
that you stop to think about it.

462
00:29:20,833 --> 00:29:22,700
(car horn honking)

463
00:29:25,566 --> 00:29:27,033
Before that the,

464
00:29:27,033 --> 00:29:31,066
the general threat was almost 
like a, a fun thing to know.

465
00:29:31,066 --> 00:29:36,200
(din of the street)

466
00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:39,900
And now imminent, 
concrete, there.

467
00:29:39,900 --> 00:29:45,000
♪ ♪

468
00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:46,466
Don't fly to your home.

469
00:29:49,166 --> 00:29:50,866
(door closes, keys jingling)

470
00:29:50,866 --> 00:29:52,800
(places keys down)

471
00:29:57,100 --> 00:30:00,933
(line ringing out)

472
00:30:03,133 --> 00:30:06,066
(ringing out continues)

473
00:30:12,466 --> 00:30:13,466
>> CHRISTO'S FATHER 
(in Bulgarian, on speaker):

474
00:30:13,466 --> 00:30:16,433
>> CHRISTO (in Bulgarian):

475
00:30:16,433 --> 00:30:18,700
>> CHRISTO'S FATHER:

476
00:30:18,700 --> 00:30:19,633
(chuckles)

477
00:30:23,700 --> 00:30:25,633
>> CHRISTO:

478
00:30:29,133 --> 00:30:30,366
>> CHRISTO'S FATHER:

479
00:30:30,366 --> 00:30:33,933
>> CHRISTO:

480
00:30:33,933 --> 00:30:35,200
>> CHRISTO'S FATHER:

481
00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:38,266
>> CHRISTO:

482
00:30:38,266 --> 00:30:39,733
>> CHRISTO'S FATHER:

483
00:30:39,733 --> 00:30:41,666
>> CHRISTO:

484
00:30:47,633 --> 00:30:51,766
(Christo's father coughs, 
sniffles)

485
00:30:53,900 --> 00:30:56,566
>> CHRISTO'S FATHER:

486
00:31:07,033 --> 00:31:10,366
>> CHRISTO:

487
00:31:10,366 --> 00:31:12,300
>> CHRISTO'S FATHER:

488
00:31:17,033 --> 00:31:18,600
>> CHRISTO:

489
00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:20,633
>> CHRISTO'S FATHER:

490
00:31:20,633 --> 00:31:23,533
>> CHRISTO:

491
00:31:23,533 --> 00:31:24,900
>> CHRISTO'S FATHER:

492
00:31:24,900 --> 00:31:26,833
>> CHRISTO:

493
00:31:29,300 --> 00:31:31,233
>> CHRISTO'S FATHER:

494
00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:38,733
>> CHRISTO:

495
00:31:49,333 --> 00:31:51,466
>> CHRISTO'S FATHER:

496
00:31:54,033 --> 00:31:55,966
>> CHRISTO:

497
00:32:03,333 --> 00:32:05,766
>> CHRISTO'S FATHER:

498
00:32:05,766 --> 00:32:07,166
>> CHRISTO:

499
00:32:07,166 --> 00:32:08,866
>> CHRISTO'S FATHER:

500
00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:12,866
>> CHRISTO:

501
00:32:12,866 --> 00:32:16,733
♪ ♪

502
00:32:16,733 --> 00:32:18,866
(keys clacking)

503
00:32:18,866 --> 00:32:24,400
(line ringing out, 
keys clacking continues)

504
00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:28,000
(line ringing out continues)

505
00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:30,000
>> CHRISTO'S WIFE (Bulgarian): 
>> CHRISTO (in Bulgarian):

506
00:32:32,100 --> 00:32:33,633
(sighing): 
Did my dad call?

507
00:32:33,633 --> 00:32:37,366
>> CHRISTO'S WIFE:

508
00:32:37,366 --> 00:32:42,366
>> CHRISTO (in Bulgarian):

509
00:32:42,366 --> 00:32:43,300
Just in case.

510
00:32:44,133 --> 00:32:46,366
>> CHRISTO'S WIFE:

511
00:32:46,366 --> 00:32:47,366
>> CHRISTO:

512
00:32:47,366 --> 00:32:50,233
(Christo's wife speaking 
Bulgarian)

513
00:32:50,233 --> 00:32:53,133
>> CHRISTO'S WIFE:

514
00:32:53,133 --> 00:32:58,166
(Christo speaking Bulgarian)

515
00:32:58,166 --> 00:33:00,333
>> CHRISTO'S WIFE:

516
00:33:06,500 --> 00:33:08,433
>> CHRISTO:

517
00:33:19,333 --> 00:33:24,966
(din of the street)

518
00:33:24,966 --> 00:33:30,366
>> I think we've known each 
other for almost four years now,

519
00:33:30,366 --> 00:33:33,433
and we speak a lot, 
and that was the only time

520
00:33:33,433 --> 00:33:36,400
when I felt Christo 
was completely devastated.

521
00:33:41,300 --> 00:33:45,766
Sometimes when you see how much 
time Christo invests in work

522
00:33:45,766 --> 00:33:50,100
you might think that he doesn't 
really care about his family

523
00:33:50,100 --> 00:33:52,466
because he spends 
so little time with them.

524
00:33:52,466 --> 00:33:57,000
But emotionally, they are...

525
00:33:57,000 --> 00:33:59,833
his home, his cradle.

526
00:34:03,800 --> 00:34:08,333
His father is so very proud 
of what he does,

527
00:34:08,333 --> 00:34:11,300
and I think that's 
very important to Christo.

528
00:34:13,100 --> 00:34:17,400
And Steph is, I guess, 
a person that keeps

529
00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:19,566
his feet on the ground.

530
00:34:19,566 --> 00:34:24,733
(car radio playing)

531
00:34:24,733 --> 00:34:27,633
But now he's living on 
the other side of the Atlantic.

532
00:34:27,633 --> 00:34:30,400
(radio playing continues)

533
00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:32,400
And the only thing that 
seems certain

534
00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:35,900
is that there's people out there 
trying to kill him.

535
00:34:35,900 --> 00:34:40,366
♪ ♪

536
00:34:41,600 --> 00:34:42,866
(distant siren blaring)

537
00:34:42,866 --> 00:34:47,800
(din of the street)

538
00:34:56,366 --> 00:34:59,033
(rustling, movement)

539
00:35:01,300 --> 00:35:03,466
(distant siren blaring)

540
00:35:03,466 --> 00:35:05,733
>> CHRISTO: When they get to 
a point of putting somebody

541
00:35:05,733 --> 00:35:08,266
on a kill list, 
they don't take that lightly.

542
00:35:08,266 --> 00:35:11,133
They, they sent an advance team

543
00:35:11,133 --> 00:35:13,866
that monitors the locations 
that the target goes to

544
00:35:13,866 --> 00:35:16,633
for days, sometimes weeks,

545
00:35:16,633 --> 00:35:18,100
so you have to be careful 
every time.

546
00:35:18,100 --> 00:35:22,666
(beeping)

547
00:35:22,666 --> 00:35:25,366
Overall, I need to work out 
the plan of

548
00:35:25,366 --> 00:35:29,033
what I'm going to do.

549
00:35:29,033 --> 00:35:30,400
And to make things worse,

550
00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:33,166
my dad has not answered 
the phone for the last two days.

551
00:35:33,166 --> 00:35:40,200
(line ringing out)

552
00:35:40,200 --> 00:35:44,033
>> Are you ever able to relax?

553
00:35:44,033 --> 00:35:44,966
(line ringing out continues)

554
00:35:49,166 --> 00:35:52,700
>> CHRISTO: No, I had a...

555
00:35:52,700 --> 00:35:56,933
a holistic check 
on my nervous system,

556
00:35:56,933 --> 00:36:01,066
and the doctor showed me 
the results,

557
00:36:01,066 --> 00:36:02,866
and he said he's never seen 
anything like this.

558
00:36:02,866 --> 00:36:07,400
The level of stress in my 
system is on a constant level,

559
00:36:07,400 --> 00:36:08,766
and it doesn't change,

560
00:36:08,766 --> 00:36:11,666
doesn't fluctuate like it does 
with any other person,

561
00:36:11,666 --> 00:36:15,200
it's just a stacked-up level.

562
00:36:15,200 --> 00:36:19,500
And the doctor interpreted that 
by saying that

563
00:36:19,500 --> 00:36:23,433
even when I'm asleep 
I'm at the same level of stress.

564
00:36:23,433 --> 00:36:27,166
Um... so the answer is no.

565
00:36:27,166 --> 00:36:31,066
>> I think most people would say 
that constant level of stress

566
00:36:31,066 --> 00:36:34,533
is understandable.

567
00:36:34,533 --> 00:36:35,833
>> CHRISTO: Yeah.

568
00:36:35,833 --> 00:36:37,433
That's what the doctor said 
as well.

569
00:36:48,266 --> 00:36:53,200
(line ringing out)

570
00:36:57,866 --> 00:36:59,466
>> SOPHIA 
(in Bulgarian, on speaker):

571
00:36:59,466 --> 00:37:01,300
>> CHRISTO (in Bulgarian):

572
00:37:01,300 --> 00:37:03,000
>> SOPHIA: 
>> CHRISTO:

573
00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:04,400
>> SOPHIA:

574
00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:06,133
(both speaking Bulgarian)

575
00:37:06,733 --> 00:37:08,166
>> CHRISTO:

576
00:37:12,233 --> 00:37:16,433
>> SOPHIA:

577
00:37:16,433 --> 00:37:17,966
...or something. 
>> CHRISTO: Mm-hmm.

578
00:37:23,433 --> 00:37:26,233
>> SOPHIA:

579
00:37:37,900 --> 00:37:40,066
>> CHRISTO: 
Where does he live then?

580
00:37:40,066 --> 00:37:41,900
>> SOPHIA: 
So, he's here occasionally,

581
00:37:41,900 --> 00:37:43,600
but he never spends the night 
here ever.

582
00:37:44,033 --> 00:37:45,633
(in Bulgarian):

583
00:37:49,233 --> 00:37:50,800
...funniest thing in the world.

584
00:37:50,800 --> 00:37:52,900
(in Bulgarian):

585
00:37:52,900 --> 00:37:54,800
...and I am scared.

586
00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:56,800
(in Bulgarian):

587
00:37:56,800 --> 00:37:58,200
...Christian is gone.

588
00:37:58,200 --> 00:37:59,266
I feel like I'm on my own, 
(speaking Bulgarian)

589
00:37:59,266 --> 00:38:01,566
We are one big happy family!

590
00:38:03,533 --> 00:38:06,233
>> CHRISTO: 
We've caused havoc, so.

591
00:38:12,833 --> 00:38:18,233
♪ ♪

592
00:38:18,233 --> 00:38:21,266
>> If you want to go after 
Christo Grozev,

593
00:38:21,266 --> 00:38:24,000
you, you'd better to kill him 
than to injure him.

594
00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:28,633
♪ ♪

595
00:38:28,633 --> 00:38:32,566
First of all, 
he's very clever person,

596
00:38:32,566 --> 00:38:36,466
all this Sherlock Holmes 
illusions that are used

597
00:38:36,466 --> 00:38:41,500
in the media describing him 
are pretty accurate.

598
00:38:41,500 --> 00:38:47,433
Dictators, they love darkness, 
they love silence,

599
00:38:47,433 --> 00:38:51,666
they hate transparency 
and this will never change.

600
00:38:51,666 --> 00:38:56,266
So, if I was Putin I would

601
00:38:56,266 --> 00:38:58,833
definitely kill Christo Grozev;

602
00:38:58,833 --> 00:39:01,966
without any doubts.

603
00:39:01,966 --> 00:39:05,733
♪ ♪

604
00:39:05,733 --> 00:39:09,400
(keys clacking, 
doorbell ringing)

605
00:39:09,400 --> 00:39:12,333
(ringing continues)

606
00:39:12,333 --> 00:39:14,533
(ringing stops, 
high-pitched beeping)

607
00:39:14,533 --> 00:39:18,366
>> I think by exposing 
the plot against Navalny,

608
00:39:18,366 --> 00:39:20,966
he did something 
that he hadn't done before,

609
00:39:20,966 --> 00:39:25,466
because he got involved 
in Russian domestic politics...

610
00:39:25,466 --> 00:39:27,366
(weather report 
playing on speaker)

611
00:39:27,366 --> 00:39:33,733
...and that clearly exposed him 
to a new level.

612
00:39:33,733 --> 00:39:35,800
>> CHRISTO: I'll call my dad, 
I am really worried

613
00:39:35,800 --> 00:39:38,833
that he hasn't answered 
the, the call three days.

614
00:39:38,833 --> 00:39:41,400
I'll put it on speaker 
just in case he answers, okay?

615
00:39:43,533 --> 00:39:46,400
(line ringing out)

616
00:39:46,400 --> 00:39:48,000
(sighs)

617
00:39:49,533 --> 00:39:53,500
(line ringing out continues)

618
00:39:53,500 --> 00:39:56,233
I've tried to call him 
on a regular call

619
00:39:56,233 --> 00:39:59,033
and his phone is off.

620
00:39:59,033 --> 00:40:04,333
But WhatsApp rings on, 
which is weird.

621
00:40:04,333 --> 00:40:06,300
It doesn't show calling, 
but ringing,

622
00:40:06,300 --> 00:40:10,800
which is strange 
if his phone is off.

623
00:40:10,800 --> 00:40:15,100
And uh, the neighbor 
who's very friendly,

624
00:40:15,100 --> 00:40:17,033
he doesn't get my messages,

625
00:40:17,033 --> 00:40:19,933
so my wife is calling him 
on a regular line now

626
00:40:19,933 --> 00:40:21,066
trying to get him to go.

627
00:40:26,966 --> 00:40:28,966
I'm most afraid that 
the Russians may have decided

628
00:40:28,966 --> 00:40:31,933
to use him as a pressure point.

629
00:40:34,733 --> 00:40:36,233
'Cause he's way too open;

630
00:40:36,233 --> 00:40:41,833
I mean he's on Facebook 
posting photos of me, of him,

631
00:40:41,833 --> 00:40:43,666
easy to find out where he lives.

632
00:40:43,666 --> 00:40:48,600
♪ ♪

633
00:40:55,900 --> 00:40:57,166
So Friday we didn't reach him,

634
00:40:57,166 --> 00:40:59,133
Saturday we didn't reach him,

635
00:40:59,133 --> 00:41:02,766
Sunday no answer.

636
00:41:02,766 --> 00:41:05,466
And then that was 
only half of the worry,

637
00:41:05,466 --> 00:41:07,466
the other half was that

638
00:41:07,466 --> 00:41:09,200
he hadn't posted anything 
on Facebook,

639
00:41:09,200 --> 00:41:11,700
and he was living on Facebook 
since my mum died.

640
00:41:13,333 --> 00:41:17,266
He actually told me that he has 
spent his life,

641
00:41:17,266 --> 00:41:18,966
which means the last ten years,

642
00:41:18,966 --> 00:41:21,066
making fun of my mother 
for being on Facebook

643
00:41:21,066 --> 00:41:22,966
and then he discovered 
that actually it could be a tool

644
00:41:22,966 --> 00:41:24,733
to spread the word

645
00:41:24,733 --> 00:41:27,266
and to engage with 
smarter people than you are.

646
00:41:30,766 --> 00:41:33,433
But he hadn't posted anything 
since Thursday.

647
00:41:35,933 --> 00:41:41,200
So on Sunday evening 
I called my friend Karl

648
00:41:41,200 --> 00:41:44,733
and asked him to go and see 
what's happening;

649
00:41:44,733 --> 00:41:48,500
didn't want to scare my family.

650
00:41:51,533 --> 00:41:52,633
(bleep)

651
00:41:53,900 --> 00:41:59,166
So on Sunday, 
Karl said he'll drive there,

652
00:41:59,166 --> 00:42:02,666
then he called me and said 
nobody's answering the door,

653
00:42:02,666 --> 00:42:06,033
no lights are on.

654
00:42:06,033 --> 00:42:10,933
So then I called the police,

655
00:42:10,933 --> 00:42:12,966
they said, "we're calling 
the fire brigade,"

656
00:42:12,966 --> 00:42:16,366
because that's the way they get 
into houses in Austria.

657
00:42:16,366 --> 00:42:18,800
Then I got a message, 
"we are entering,"

658
00:42:18,800 --> 00:42:23,433
and then there was nothing.

659
00:42:23,433 --> 00:42:26,933
Maybe that was the worst time 
of waiting for something.

660
00:42:29,700 --> 00:42:34,766
An hour later I got a call 
from this police officer

661
00:42:34,766 --> 00:42:40,433
who told me that he was dead.

662
00:42:40,433 --> 00:42:46,866
They made the... 
the apartment a crime scene,

663
00:42:46,866 --> 00:42:49,233
they sealed it and locked it 
because they knew

664
00:42:49,233 --> 00:42:53,200
that there was this alert that 
there's a kill team in Austria.

665
00:42:53,200 --> 00:42:59,133
So for them it was 
an immediate... hypothesis

666
00:42:59,133 --> 00:43:02,600
that this death 
was not just random,

667
00:43:02,600 --> 00:43:05,900
it might have been just 
a, a pretext or a lure

668
00:43:05,900 --> 00:43:09,100
for me to go back to 
a funeral, so.

669
00:43:09,100 --> 00:43:11,166
(din of the street)

670
00:43:11,166 --> 00:43:14,633
They're doing an autopsy 
as we speak,

671
00:43:14,633 --> 00:43:16,133
and, uh...

672
00:43:16,133 --> 00:43:20,900
(sighs) there was a lot of 
drama and shock in his life,

673
00:43:20,900 --> 00:43:22,233
especially 
when he found out that,

674
00:43:22,233 --> 00:43:24,866
that I'm not going back 
to Austria

675
00:43:24,866 --> 00:43:26,166
for the foreseeable future,

676
00:43:26,166 --> 00:43:30,200
so one can imagine 
that it was too much for him.

677
00:43:30,200 --> 00:43:33,066
And there's a 50% chance 
that they killed him.

678
00:43:38,033 --> 00:43:41,133
My problem is that either way 
I feel guilty

679
00:43:41,133 --> 00:43:45,333
because either way if I wasn't 
doing what I was doing

680
00:43:45,333 --> 00:43:46,666
he would probably be alive now.

681
00:43:54,733 --> 00:43:56,233
(laptop chimes)

682
00:43:58,666 --> 00:44:02,533
This was the last time 
I saw my dad.

683
00:44:02,533 --> 00:44:06,966
We had just received the news 
that "Navalny" the film

684
00:44:06,966 --> 00:44:11,566
was nominated for an Oscar, 
and yeah,

685
00:44:11,566 --> 00:44:14,133
he was the happiest person 
on earth.

686
00:44:17,533 --> 00:44:19,133
He was the only member of 
the family

687
00:44:19,133 --> 00:44:20,966
who really was proud 
of what I was doing.

688
00:44:20,966 --> 00:44:25,833
Everybody else finds it 
interesting, but questionable

689
00:44:25,833 --> 00:44:28,566
whether I am doing something 
that is worth doing

690
00:44:28,566 --> 00:44:32,700
and he was always a believer.

691
00:44:32,700 --> 00:44:36,600
So in a way, I would lose 
my biggest fan and champion,

692
00:44:36,600 --> 00:44:39,466
so I feel terrible about that.

693
00:44:39,466 --> 00:44:45,000
♪ ♪

694
00:45:05,866 --> 00:45:10,800
I found a friend 
who's flying a plane to Europe,

695
00:45:10,800 --> 00:45:14,933
doesn't go to Austria, 
goes to another country.

696
00:45:14,933 --> 00:45:16,933
So just get on that plane 
tomorrow morning,

697
00:45:16,933 --> 00:45:21,933
and I'll clear U.S. Customs, 
but I will not be listed

698
00:45:21,933 --> 00:45:23,800
in any passenger manifest.

699
00:45:23,800 --> 00:45:27,000
And then I will uh,

700
00:45:27,000 --> 00:45:31,166
get on a... in a car or a train

701
00:45:31,166 --> 00:45:32,566
but I will not leave any traces,

702
00:45:32,566 --> 00:45:35,233
I'll not book any... 
anything under my name

703
00:45:35,233 --> 00:45:37,433
and I will sneak into Austria.

704
00:45:37,433 --> 00:45:42,366
♪ ♪

705
00:45:46,500 --> 00:45:51,600
I was put up by the 
Austrian police in a safe house.

706
00:45:51,600 --> 00:45:55,133
They didn't let me stay 
with my family.

707
00:45:57,633 --> 00:46:02,066
Actually, they've only let me 
see my family a couple of times

708
00:46:02,066 --> 00:46:03,433
since I arrived here,

709
00:46:03,433 --> 00:46:07,400
and that has to happen 
in a different safe house,

710
00:46:07,400 --> 00:46:08,933
not even the one 
that I'm currently in.

711
00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:16,433
Roman Dobrokhotov 
has been messaging me

712
00:46:16,433 --> 00:46:21,100
saying he has important news 
he urgently needs to share.

713
00:46:21,100 --> 00:46:26,200
(phone ringing)

714
00:46:26,200 --> 00:46:27,500
>> DOBROKHOTOV 
(in Russian, on phone):

715
00:46:27,500 --> 00:46:29,066
>> CHRISTO (in Russian):

716
00:46:29,066 --> 00:46:31,000
>> DOBROKHOTOV:

717
00:46:41,600 --> 00:46:43,233
>> CHRISTO: Mm-hmm.

718
00:46:43,233 --> 00:46:45,166
>> DOBROKHOTOV:

719
00:46:50,566 --> 00:46:51,633
>> CHRISTO: (bleep)

720
00:46:51,633 --> 00:46:55,566
So Roman was visited 
by the police.

721
00:46:55,566 --> 00:46:57,666
I was told that

722
00:46:57,666 --> 00:47:04,633
five residents of the U.K. 
were arrested

723
00:47:04,633 --> 00:47:07,400
because they'd been 
spying on him

724
00:47:07,400 --> 00:47:13,100
and creating... sort of 
a daily routine profile on him.

725
00:47:15,200 --> 00:47:16,600
>> SCHMID (on laptop speaker): 
(bleep) (bleep)

726
00:47:16,600 --> 00:47:18,166
>> CHRISTO: Yeah.

727
00:47:18,166 --> 00:47:24,133
Then I went to a meeting with 
my family at the police station.

728
00:47:24,133 --> 00:47:26,533
This time 
the guys asked me to stay.

729
00:47:26,533 --> 00:47:31,866
And told me that...

730
00:47:31,866 --> 00:47:34,100
they received information 
from intelligence...

731
00:47:34,100 --> 00:47:37,266
a foreign intelligence service

732
00:47:37,266 --> 00:47:42,100
saying that several people 
were arrested this week,

733
00:47:42,100 --> 00:47:47,166
and on them they found video 
and photographic surveillance

734
00:47:47,166 --> 00:47:50,866
of my house and my family.

735
00:47:50,866 --> 00:47:55,200
And then of course, I had to 
confront Steph with this,

736
00:47:55,200 --> 00:47:57,133
and it's not going well.

737
00:47:59,866 --> 00:48:02,566
In the confinement 
of a safe house

738
00:48:02,566 --> 00:48:07,500
it's kind of coming to 
I can't even have an argument

739
00:48:07,500 --> 00:48:09,700
with my wife normally.

740
00:48:09,700 --> 00:48:13,466
(sighs heavily)

741
00:48:18,733 --> 00:48:20,666
It seems like this 
may be the last time

742
00:48:20,666 --> 00:48:24,200
I'm going to see my town, 
my Vienna for a long time.

743
00:48:24,200 --> 00:48:26,633
I've lived here 
for more than 20 years

744
00:48:26,633 --> 00:48:29,400
and now I was told 
I have to forget about it.

745
00:48:33,700 --> 00:48:35,900
See you on the other side, bye.

746
00:48:41,000 --> 00:48:46,666
(din of the street)

747
00:48:46,666 --> 00:48:51,800
♪ ♪

748
00:48:51,800 --> 00:48:54,133
Being on Putin's kill list 
has led to me

749
00:48:54,133 --> 00:48:55,333
being separated from my family.

750
00:48:59,800 --> 00:49:03,033
This is how the regime 
likes to play the game;

751
00:49:03,033 --> 00:49:05,866
stripping away the fundamental 
things of your life one by one.

752
00:49:09,600 --> 00:49:11,866
I've had to quit my role 
at Bellingcat too.

753
00:49:11,866 --> 00:49:14,600
I've got too many other things 
to focus on now.

754
00:49:18,133 --> 00:49:21,000
For months, I've been working 
behind the scenes

755
00:49:21,000 --> 00:49:22,933
on a prisoner swap 
between Russia and the West.

756
00:49:25,000 --> 00:49:27,200
America, Germany, 
and the Kremlin

757
00:49:27,200 --> 00:49:29,133
have been in discussions.

758
00:49:29,133 --> 00:49:32,133
As far as I understand, nothing 
is yet definitively agreed,

759
00:49:32,133 --> 00:49:34,933
but time is critical.

760
00:49:34,933 --> 00:49:38,666
Both Alexei Navalny's 
and Vladimir Kara-Murza's health

761
00:49:38,666 --> 00:49:40,566
are a constant worry to us.

762
00:49:41,666 --> 00:49:43,300
They've both survived 
previous poisonings

763
00:49:43,300 --> 00:49:46,033
and have been languishing 
in jail for a long time.

764
00:49:48,566 --> 00:49:50,400
>> Of course I've been 
as vocal as possible...

765
00:49:50,400 --> 00:49:51,700
>> CHRISTO: Mm-hmm.

766
00:49:51,700 --> 00:49:53,400
>> ...since the detention,

767
00:49:53,400 --> 00:49:56,066
and I've been using 
every single platform available

768
00:49:56,066 --> 00:49:58,966
to speak out and to scream 
as loud as I can.

769
00:49:58,966 --> 00:50:02,633
His life is in danger, 
obviously.

770
00:50:02,633 --> 00:50:05,566
Because they see him 
as a personal enemy,

771
00:50:05,566 --> 00:50:08,400
they've tried to kill him twice,

772
00:50:08,400 --> 00:50:11,000
so putting him in prison 
and isolating him,

773
00:50:11,000 --> 00:50:14,800
maybe they're just thinking 
that, you know, after the trial

774
00:50:14,800 --> 00:50:16,700
he will be moved 
to a high security prison.

775
00:50:16,700 --> 00:50:20,300
And my contact with him 
will be pretty much severed.

776
00:50:20,300 --> 00:50:23,166
In a high security prison 
anything can happen.

777
00:50:23,166 --> 00:50:25,033
>> CHRISTO: Yeah. 
To traitors.

778
00:50:25,033 --> 00:50:27,066
>> And they-- 
Yes, to traitors.

779
00:50:27,066 --> 00:50:31,666
>> CHRISTO: I've been trying to 
create an architecture

780
00:50:31,666 --> 00:50:35,733
to allow for a swap of all 
political prisoners in Russia

781
00:50:35,733 --> 00:50:37,766
for all the spies. 
>> You're ambitious.

782
00:50:37,766 --> 00:50:39,600
>> CHRISTO: Well, 
let's say as many as possible.

783
00:50:39,600 --> 00:50:42,766
>> Mm. What do you think 
he wants in return?

784
00:50:42,766 --> 00:50:44,666
>> CHRISTO: Well, 
basically this mafia pledge

785
00:50:44,666 --> 00:50:47,300
that we don't leave people 
behind, because otherwise,

786
00:50:47,300 --> 00:50:49,800
the next people 
won't be loyal to me.

787
00:50:49,800 --> 00:50:53,733
He wants some of these, 
like the killer in Berlin.

788
00:50:53,733 --> 00:50:55,533
He definitely wants him. 
>> Yeah. Okay.

789
00:50:55,533 --> 00:50:57,000
>> CHRISTO: 
He's his personal killer,

790
00:50:57,000 --> 00:50:58,933
that's what we found out.

791
00:51:01,766 --> 00:51:06,766
♪ ♪

792
00:51:07,400 --> 00:51:09,800
(in Russian):

793
00:51:12,033 --> 00:51:13,966
>> PROKHOROV 
(in Russian, on laptop speaker):

794
00:51:23,600 --> 00:51:24,600
>> CHRISTO:

795
00:51:24,600 --> 00:51:26,533
>> PROKHOROV:

796
00:51:34,000 --> 00:51:36,033
(crowd cheering and applauding)

797
00:51:37,033 --> 00:51:41,100
>> I think it shows 
they are no longer afraid.

798
00:51:41,100 --> 00:51:44,966
Trying to kill opponents 
secretly means that

799
00:51:44,966 --> 00:51:46,300
you still want to pretend

800
00:51:46,300 --> 00:51:51,366
you're a somewhat intact, 
democracy-like system.

801
00:51:53,200 --> 00:51:58,100
And... in the last couple 
of years,

802
00:51:58,100 --> 00:52:01,300
that pretension of being 
a democratic state has vanished.

803
00:52:01,300 --> 00:52:02,300
It's gone now.

804
00:52:02,300 --> 00:52:04,000
(cheers and applause)

805
00:52:04,000 --> 00:52:05,200
You can't say anything.

806
00:52:05,200 --> 00:52:08,933
You're not allowed to 
call the war a war.

807
00:52:08,933 --> 00:52:14,633
That is a fully 
totalitarian approach.

808
00:52:14,633 --> 00:52:18,066
Well, it's the 
Soviet Union reloaded.

809
00:52:18,066 --> 00:52:21,133
>> It was clear after 
the Navalny poisoning for me

810
00:52:21,133 --> 00:52:23,700
that he's not just a kind of 
"rational politician"

811
00:52:23,700 --> 00:52:25,933
who just want to keep 
power forever.

812
00:52:26,233 --> 00:52:29,933
I think every month 
we see something

813
00:52:29,933 --> 00:52:33,033
that never happened before

814
00:52:33,033 --> 00:52:35,100
'cause we don't have to pretend

815
00:52:35,100 --> 00:52:36,900
that you're a normal person 
anymore.

816
00:52:36,900 --> 00:52:39,833
Everyone knows who Putin is

817
00:52:39,833 --> 00:52:45,500
so the tempo of escalation 
is growing.

818
00:52:45,500 --> 00:52:48,366
(speaking Russian)

819
00:52:48,366 --> 00:52:51,000
(voiceover): There was 
a very big wave of arrests

820
00:52:51,000 --> 00:52:52,933
and pressure in Russia.

821
00:52:55,766 --> 00:52:58,300
FSB broke into my apartment,

822
00:52:58,300 --> 00:53:01,800
which meant that I need to leave 
the country immediately.

823
00:53:01,800 --> 00:53:02,966
(speaking Russian)

824
00:53:02,966 --> 00:53:07,466
♪ ♪

825
00:53:07,466 --> 00:53:09,500
But some other people stayed.

826
00:53:19,133 --> 00:53:24,833
♪ ♪

827
00:53:24,833 --> 00:53:29,166
(din of the street)

828
00:53:37,100 --> 00:53:39,033
>> (in Russian):

829
00:53:56,200 --> 00:53:59,200
(journalists talking in Russian)

830
00:53:59,200 --> 00:54:01,200
>> (in Russian):

831
00:54:22,900 --> 00:54:28,933
♪ ♪

832
00:54:28,933 --> 00:54:34,033
>> His health has been actually 
deteriorating quite rapidly.

833
00:54:34,033 --> 00:54:35,366
These poisoning attacks

834
00:54:35,366 --> 00:54:40,600
resulted in 
peripheral nerve damage,

835
00:54:40,600 --> 00:54:43,600
and he's developed 
symptoms of polyneuropathy

836
00:54:43,600 --> 00:54:46,900
in both his feet and 
his left hand,

837
00:54:46,900 --> 00:54:49,800
which means that he's basically 
losing feeling in his feet

838
00:54:49,800 --> 00:54:52,266
and his hand and 
cannot use his feet properly.

839
00:54:52,266 --> 00:54:56,266
This diagnosis 
can actually lead to paralysis.

840
00:55:01,266 --> 00:55:03,266
>> So he'd been poisoned twice,

841
00:55:03,266 --> 00:55:05,866
you both knew the risks of 
returning of Russia,

842
00:55:05,866 --> 00:55:08,366
you must have asked him 
not to go.

843
00:55:10,533 --> 00:55:15,066
>> You know, trying to convince 
him not to go back to Russia,

844
00:55:15,066 --> 00:55:17,066
trying to convince him 
would be trying to convince him

845
00:55:17,066 --> 00:55:18,900
to give up his work.

846
00:55:18,900 --> 00:55:22,400
That would mean that 
I'm not accepting him as he is

847
00:55:22,400 --> 00:55:24,566
but that I want him to change.

848
00:55:24,566 --> 00:55:26,200
Would I want him to change?

849
00:55:26,200 --> 00:55:32,133
No, because I admire and love 
him for who he is;

850
00:55:32,133 --> 00:55:35,966
exactly this 
particular, specific person.

851
00:55:35,966 --> 00:55:38,666
(indistinct chatter)

852
00:55:38,666 --> 00:55:40,700
I believe that it is harder 
to kill someone

853
00:55:40,700 --> 00:55:42,866
when the entire world 
is watching,

854
00:55:42,866 --> 00:55:47,066
so I'm trying to be 
as loud as I can.

855
00:55:47,066 --> 00:55:49,266
For years, I'm trying to 
attract as much attention

856
00:55:49,266 --> 00:55:51,066
to Vladimir's case.

857
00:55:51,066 --> 00:55:53,933
(inaudible dialogue)

858
00:55:53,933 --> 00:55:55,533
(voiceover): 
And because I want...

859
00:55:58,000 --> 00:55:59,300
I want to get Vladimir back,

860
00:55:59,300 --> 00:56:03,800
and first of all, 
I want him to survive this.

861
00:56:03,800 --> 00:56:09,700
(indistinct chatter)

862
00:56:15,200 --> 00:56:19,100
Is it scary to face 
a monstrous repressive regime?

863
00:56:20,800 --> 00:56:23,033
Oh yes, 
there are no doubts about that.

864
00:56:24,533 --> 00:56:27,800
And in the words of 
U.S. President Roosevelt,

865
00:56:27,800 --> 00:56:30,200
courage is not 
the absence of fear,

866
00:56:30,200 --> 00:56:32,566
but rather the assessment 
that something else

867
00:56:32,566 --> 00:56:36,500
is more important than fear.

868
00:56:36,500 --> 00:56:38,600
I couldn't be prouder 
of my husband

869
00:56:38,600 --> 00:56:43,766
and couldn't wish for a better 
example for my kids to follow.

870
00:56:43,766 --> 00:56:47,700
(applause)

871
00:56:51,800 --> 00:56:55,100
♪ ♪

872
00:57:04,033 --> 00:57:06,600
>> Does the threat to you, 
the threat to your family,

873
00:57:06,600 --> 00:57:09,900
does it make you consider 
just walking away?

874
00:57:15,166 --> 00:57:17,766
>> CHRISTO: On my own, I would 
not have had that thought.

875
00:57:17,766 --> 00:57:20,333
But that thought, um, 
has been suggested to me

876
00:57:20,333 --> 00:57:25,866
by both friends and family, 
so it has to be on the agenda.

877
00:57:28,833 --> 00:57:31,766
The problem is that 
walking away

878
00:57:31,766 --> 00:57:35,166
is going to marginally 
reduce the risk,

879
00:57:35,166 --> 00:57:36,666
cause this entity, this,

880
00:57:36,666 --> 00:57:40,500
this regime, uh, 
is very vengeful.

881
00:57:43,400 --> 00:57:46,933
And uh, with my father's death

882
00:57:46,933 --> 00:57:49,600
the fact that I could not say 
a proper goodbye to him,

883
00:57:49,600 --> 00:57:51,466
and that I had to be here 
in the first place...

884
00:57:53,033 --> 00:57:54,333
...is hard to forgive.

885
00:57:57,700 --> 00:58:01,933
Yeah, I mean I have, I haven't 
dealt with the grief

886
00:58:01,933 --> 00:58:03,300
and the guilt, um.

887
00:58:03,300 --> 00:58:07,733
Yeah, that's part for later.

888
00:58:07,733 --> 00:58:13,433
Survival and keeping my family 
together is priority now.

889
00:58:19,433 --> 00:58:24,366
♪ ♪

890
00:58:35,400 --> 00:58:40,333
♪ ♪

891
00:58:43,133 --> 00:58:45,500
>> Across the front pages, there 
are photographs of the people

892
00:58:45,500 --> 00:58:48,333
suspected of being 
Russian spies in the U.K.

893
00:58:48,333 --> 00:58:50,600
>> The defendants 
are all Bulgarian nationals

894
00:58:50,600 --> 00:58:53,100
who have lived in the U.K. 
for years,

895
00:58:53,100 --> 00:58:54,566
working in a variety of jobs...

896
00:58:54,566 --> 00:58:55,766
>> Orlin Roussev, 
Bizer Dzhambazov

897
00:58:55,766 --> 00:58:57,666
and Katrin Ivanova

898
00:58:57,666 --> 00:58:59,633
were arrested under the Official

899
00:58:59,633 --> 00:59:01,300
Secrets Act in February,

900
00:59:01,300 --> 00:59:03,266
with properties searched 
in London

901
00:59:03,266 --> 00:59:04,666
and Great Yarmouth.

902
00:59:04,666 --> 00:59:07,200
>> We heard on Friday that these 
three men and two women

903
00:59:07,200 --> 00:59:08,466
were going to be appearing

904
00:59:08,466 --> 00:59:10,400
here at 
Westminster Magistrates' Court,

905
00:59:10,400 --> 00:59:13,800
they are all aged between 
29 and 45 years old.

906
00:59:13,800 --> 00:59:17,566
>> It is alleged this group were 
involved in surveillance

907
00:59:17,566 --> 00:59:20,933
and that this surveillance was 
apparently for the purpose

908
00:59:20,933 --> 00:59:22,733
of assisting Russia to carry out

909
00:59:22,733 --> 00:59:27,066
hostile action, 
including potential abductions.

910
00:59:37,533 --> 00:59:39,766
♪ ♪

911
00:59:41,366 --> 00:59:43,166
>> CHRISTO: Dear chairman, 
honorable committee members,

912
00:59:43,166 --> 00:59:45,933
let me start by asserting that 
the notion of exclusively

913
00:59:45,933 --> 00:59:48,966
domestic repression is 
a misconception in my view.

914
00:59:51,466 --> 00:59:53,266
I discovered that 
Russian intelligence officers

915
00:59:53,266 --> 00:59:56,900
had surveilled and tailed me 
for nearly two years.

916
00:59:56,900 --> 00:59:59,333
Regrettably, I am not at 
liberty to disclose

917
00:59:59,333 --> 01:00:00,966
the specifics of this operation

918
01:00:00,966 --> 01:00:02,700
as the case is currently under 
official investigation

919
01:00:02,700 --> 01:00:04,033
in several countries.

920
01:00:04,033 --> 01:00:05,433
The overarching

921
01:00:05,433 --> 01:00:08,033
objective of these repressive 
operations appear to be

922
01:00:08,033 --> 01:00:09,600
either assassination

923
01:00:09,600 --> 01:00:13,266
or intimidation through 
the threat of assassination.

924
01:00:13,266 --> 01:00:15,866
Russia's regime has been 
permitted to persecute

925
01:00:15,866 --> 01:00:17,066
its opponents domestically

926
01:00:17,066 --> 01:00:19,100
without legal consequences 
for decades.

927
01:00:19,100 --> 01:00:22,166
They remain incentivized to 
treat the rest of the world

928
01:00:22,166 --> 01:00:24,266
as a playground for pursuing

929
01:00:24,266 --> 01:00:25,700
their so-called 
national interest

930
01:00:25,700 --> 01:00:28,500
against an ever-expanding 
list of targets.

931
01:00:28,500 --> 01:00:30,666
Thank you very much.

932
01:00:30,666 --> 01:00:35,600
(distant siren blaring, 
phone chimes)

933
01:00:42,433 --> 01:00:45,100
When the law enforcement agency

934
01:00:45,100 --> 01:00:48,233
told me I shouldn't go back 
to Europe,

935
01:00:48,233 --> 01:00:50,133
they didn't volunteer 
information about

936
01:00:50,133 --> 01:00:51,633
where the risk comes from,

937
01:00:51,633 --> 01:00:55,600
they hinted strongly that it's 
related to my investigations,

938
01:00:55,600 --> 01:00:58,233
to the work we've done at 
Bellingcat over the years,

939
01:00:58,233 --> 01:01:01,900
so I had to find out 
who it might have been.

940
01:01:01,900 --> 01:01:06,633
Then the British police arrests 
five Bulgarians.

941
01:01:06,633 --> 01:01:09,233
So I started looking at the 
names of the Bulgarians,

942
01:01:09,233 --> 01:01:11,800
and the leader of the pack, 
Orlin Roussev,

943
01:01:11,800 --> 01:01:14,966
I went back through, what, 
eight years of investigations

944
01:01:14,966 --> 01:01:17,633
and we found him 
in dozens of messages

945
01:01:17,633 --> 01:01:20,933
with another forgotten 
object of investigation

946
01:01:20,933 --> 01:01:22,500
which was Jan Marsalek.

947
01:01:25,700 --> 01:01:28,966
>> When he told me he thought 
Marsalek was behind it...

948
01:01:31,300 --> 01:01:35,100
...I thought he'd, Christo had 
gone finally, he'd gone crazy.

949
01:01:35,100 --> 01:01:38,966
♪ ♪

950
01:01:38,966 --> 01:01:43,166
Jan Marsalek is one of the most 
wanted people in Germany,

951
01:01:43,166 --> 01:01:45,233
because he had mounted 
the biggest corporate fraud

952
01:01:45,233 --> 01:01:46,866
ever in German history.

953
01:01:49,533 --> 01:01:53,366
He was the 
chief operating officer

954
01:01:53,366 --> 01:01:56,366
of Wirecard, which was

955
01:01:56,366 --> 01:01:59,600
one of the biggest publicly 
traded companies in Germany.

956
01:01:59,600 --> 01:02:01,633
>> From the payments giant 
Wirecard,

957
01:02:01,633 --> 01:02:03,500
shares jumping more than 
6% there.

958
01:02:03,500 --> 01:02:06,100
>> The company went bust because

959
01:02:06,100 --> 01:02:11,266
it had invented 1.9 billion 
euros into its balance sheet

960
01:02:11,266 --> 01:02:13,600
that supposedly were never 
there.

961
01:02:13,600 --> 01:02:15,466
>> Just quickly to Wirecard, uh,

962
01:02:15,466 --> 01:02:16,900
we saw some stock action 
this morning,

963
01:02:16,900 --> 01:02:19,800
that stock falling again 
heavily down 27%,

964
01:02:19,800 --> 01:02:21,366
we've had news of

965
01:02:21,366 --> 01:02:23,100
a police raid on its 
headquarters

966
01:02:23,100 --> 01:02:24,866
and four other properties 
as, uh,

967
01:02:24,866 --> 01:02:26,433
authorities continue 
to gather evidence.

968
01:02:26,433 --> 01:02:28,533
(siren blaring)

969
01:02:28,533 --> 01:02:31,800
>> CHRISTO: 
And then Jan Marsalek vanished.

970
01:02:31,800 --> 01:02:32,800
One place where we found him 
to have

971
01:02:32,800 --> 01:02:35,733
crossed the border was Belarus;

972
01:02:35,733 --> 01:02:38,733
a private plane.

973
01:02:38,733 --> 01:02:41,066
By going back through his 
past travel,

974
01:02:41,066 --> 01:02:42,933
we found out that he had 
gone to Russia

975
01:02:42,933 --> 01:02:47,200
I think more than 50 times 
in the last few years.

976
01:02:47,200 --> 01:02:50,933
>> And then Christo, by 
analyzing the migration files,

977
01:02:50,933 --> 01:02:54,500
saw that Marsalek was stopped 
while trying to exit Russia

978
01:02:54,500 --> 01:02:58,566
in 2017 and was kept there for 
several hours,

979
01:02:58,566 --> 01:03:01,566
and at the time 
he said this may be

980
01:03:01,566 --> 01:03:02,933
the very instant 
they recruited him.

981
01:03:05,900 --> 01:03:11,033
I hope we find out what really 
is behind it very soon.

982
01:03:11,033 --> 01:03:13,900
I think the idea of him being 
half-blackmailed,

983
01:03:13,900 --> 01:03:17,700
half-seduced into this world 
is a very good one.

984
01:03:17,700 --> 01:03:22,633
♪ ♪

985
01:03:31,866 --> 01:03:34,133
>> Why does Jan Marsalek 
have a grudge against you?

986
01:03:35,366 --> 01:03:38,366
>> CHRISTO: I would imagine it's 
a favor to the Russian state,

987
01:03:38,366 --> 01:03:42,566
plus some personal satisfaction 
because uh,

988
01:03:42,566 --> 01:03:46,566
we outed him, uh, 
for defecting to Russia.

989
01:03:46,566 --> 01:03:48,966
>> Are you afraid?

990
01:03:50,700 --> 01:03:56,533
>> CHRISTO: I have no... 
object, subjective sense of fear

991
01:03:56,533 --> 01:03:59,566
that they followed me, 
I have a feeling of terror

992
01:03:59,566 --> 01:04:02,566
that they were following 
my family

993
01:04:02,566 --> 01:04:05,433
or taking photographs 
of my family.

994
01:04:05,433 --> 01:04:10,133
I asked the Americans, I asked, 
uh, some other law enforcement

995
01:04:10,133 --> 01:04:12,700
and they said that 
under the old rules,

996
01:04:12,700 --> 01:04:15,066
my family would be safe.

997
01:04:15,066 --> 01:04:18,366
Whether there are new rules 
of the game, nobody knows.

998
01:04:20,966 --> 01:04:24,600
♪ ♪

999
01:04:26,700 --> 01:04:29,600
(phone ringing)

1000
01:04:29,600 --> 01:04:34,166
(ringing continues)

1001
01:04:34,166 --> 01:04:36,733
>> SOPHIA (on speaker): Hi. 
>> CHRISTO: Hi, hi.

1002
01:04:36,733 --> 01:04:39,933
So the police have been at home?

1003
01:04:39,933 --> 01:04:43,300
>> SOPHIA: But there were like 
five or six of the

1004
01:04:43,300 --> 01:04:48,100
(speaking Bulgarian) men 
in these white, white coats

1005
01:04:48,100 --> 01:04:51,933
and all white clothing, 
they tracked like fingerprints

1006
01:04:51,933 --> 01:04:54,733
and whatever they could do and 
they said they'll have results

1007
01:04:54,733 --> 01:04:56,300
at some point but not yet.

1008
01:04:56,300 --> 01:04:58,266
>> CHRISTO: 
So what did they tell you?

1009
01:04:58,266 --> 01:05:00,666
>> SOPHIA: Um, so they have

1010
01:05:00,666 --> 01:05:03,933
printed messages 
and they sent a message

1011
01:05:03,933 --> 01:05:05,966
to someone called Jan Marsalek

1012
01:05:05,966 --> 01:05:08,133
and they said that they got into 
our apartment

1013
01:05:08,133 --> 01:05:11,333
and got a laptop of yours.

1014
01:05:11,333 --> 01:05:12,800
They've been planning this 
for like, days

1015
01:05:12,800 --> 01:05:14,500
or weeks or months or years. 
>> CHRISTO: Yeah.

1016
01:05:14,500 --> 01:05:16,533
>> SOPHIA: They've been 
watching; they had to wait

1017
01:05:16,533 --> 01:05:19,433
until they saw 
everybody leave the apartment.

1018
01:05:21,266 --> 01:05:22,933
>> CHRISTO: Do you feel scared?

1019
01:05:24,566 --> 01:05:26,933
>> SOPHIA: No, well they told us 
to take it very seriously,

1020
01:05:26,933 --> 01:05:28,800
but not to panic, 
whatever that means.

1021
01:05:28,800 --> 01:05:31,333
But, the guy said that right now

1022
01:05:31,333 --> 01:05:33,033
is the most unsafe time for you, 
so.

1023
01:05:34,233 --> 01:05:36,166
>> CHRISTO: Really? 
>> SOPHIA: Yeah.

1024
01:05:36,166 --> 01:05:38,066
Just so you know.

1025
01:05:42,933 --> 01:05:44,066
(sighs)

1026
01:05:45,866 --> 01:05:49,866
(distant traffic)

1027
01:05:49,866 --> 01:05:52,666
>> This is CNN breaking news.

1028
01:05:52,666 --> 01:05:55,466
>> And we are just coming back, 
joining you with breaking news.

1029
01:05:55,466 --> 01:05:59,100
CNN has learned that 
Alexei Navalny has died.

1030
01:05:59,100 --> 01:06:01,200
That's according to the 
Russian prison serv--

1031
01:06:01,200 --> 01:06:02,666
prison service, rather.

1032
01:06:02,666 --> 01:06:04,633
I want to go straight 
to Nick Paton Walsh.

1033
01:06:04,633 --> 01:06:06,366
Nick, as we get this news.

1034
01:06:06,366 --> 01:06:08,533
There had been some movement, 
of course,

1035
01:06:08,533 --> 01:06:10,100
in the last several weeks.

1036
01:06:10,100 --> 01:06:13,200
He had been moved to this 
very difficult work camp

1037
01:06:13,200 --> 01:06:15,066
up by the Arctic Circle.

1038
01:06:15,066 --> 01:06:16,933
What more are we learning 
this morning

1039
01:06:16,933 --> 01:06:19,233
about when this may have 
happened?

1040
01:06:19,233 --> 01:06:21,833
And are there any potential 
details at this point?

1041
01:06:21,833 --> 01:06:24,500
>> Yeah, look, I should couch 
this in that what we have

1042
01:06:24,500 --> 01:06:27,033
at the moment are reports from 
Russian state media,

1043
01:06:27,033 --> 01:06:29,033
but frankly, given how the 
information system

1044
01:06:29,033 --> 01:06:31,366
in Russia works...

1045
01:06:35,866 --> 01:06:39,033
>> CHRISTO: Just last night, I 
was talking with Maria Pevchikh.

1046
01:06:39,033 --> 01:06:41,633
She's the head of Navalny's 
anti-corruption fund,

1047
01:06:41,633 --> 01:06:45,066
saying we're so close now with 
the prisoner swap.

1048
01:06:45,066 --> 01:06:48,266
Germany are fully behind us.

1049
01:06:48,266 --> 01:06:51,666
And she said, 
"What if he kills him now?"

1050
01:06:51,666 --> 01:06:54,166
I said, "No, 
why would he kill him now?"

1051
01:06:54,166 --> 01:06:56,233
She says, "You don't know him.

1052
01:06:56,233 --> 01:06:57,833
"You don't know Putin, 
he's a psychopath.

1053
01:06:57,833 --> 01:07:02,800
"He might decide now that he's 
gotten the Germans far enough.

1054
01:07:02,800 --> 01:07:05,233
"He's gotten the Americans 
far enough.

1055
01:07:05,233 --> 01:07:08,233
"And he will just remove Navalny 
from the equation

1056
01:07:08,233 --> 01:07:10,100
"and he'll still get the deal.

1057
01:07:10,100 --> 01:07:11,666
That's how he thinks."

1058
01:07:11,666 --> 01:07:14,966
I said, "No, no, no, that's 
not, that's not possible.

1059
01:07:14,966 --> 01:07:16,700
"I mean, he will know that 
the Germans

1060
01:07:16,700 --> 01:07:20,133
will never hand over Krasikov 
after, if this were to happen."

1061
01:07:20,133 --> 01:07:22,566
She said, "Just wait and see."

1062
01:07:22,566 --> 01:07:27,233
And now... now it just happened.

1063
01:07:29,633 --> 01:07:33,300
I think...

1064
01:07:33,300 --> 01:07:34,633
...it feels even worse,

1065
01:07:34,633 --> 01:07:39,066
because the hope of getting 
him out was so realistic.

1066
01:07:39,066 --> 01:07:42,900
(sighs) I don't know how 
I'm going to face his kids,

1067
01:07:42,900 --> 01:07:45,133
his daughter, his, his wife,

1068
01:07:45,133 --> 01:07:49,033
because I had given them 
a little bit of hope.

1069
01:07:53,666 --> 01:07:54,966
The swap,

1070
01:07:54,966 --> 01:07:56,866
and the future of 
political prisoners in Russia,

1071
01:07:56,866 --> 01:07:58,966
is now far more uncertain.

1072
01:08:08,466 --> 01:08:11,066
So it's, 
it's a terrible feeling.

1073
01:08:29,966 --> 01:08:32,633
Not long afterwards, 
the trial of the Bulgarians

1074
01:08:32,633 --> 01:08:34,500
Marsalek hired to target me 
got started.

1075
01:08:36,733 --> 01:08:38,233
And I finally got to see 
messages

1076
01:08:38,233 --> 01:08:40,133
they all sent to each other.

1077
01:08:44,333 --> 01:08:46,766
Marsalek writes: "I think it 
would be a good start

1078
01:08:46,766 --> 01:08:50,133
"if we would have somebody to 
sniff around a bit Grozev's home

1079
01:08:50,133 --> 01:08:53,300
"and to see 
where he usually goes,

1080
01:08:53,300 --> 01:08:55,766
e.g. identify his car 
and place a tracker."

1081
01:08:57,200 --> 01:09:00,166
Ten days later...

1082
01:09:00,166 --> 01:09:02,533
"Some f-ing genius just 
suggested again

1083
01:09:02,533 --> 01:09:07,033
to kidnap Grozev and to take him 
to Moscow," writes Marsalek.

1084
01:09:07,033 --> 01:09:10,233
Orlin Roussev responds: 
"If you're serious about it,

1085
01:09:10,233 --> 01:09:11,733
"and if Grozev is in Bulgaria,

1086
01:09:11,733 --> 01:09:13,466
"I have the resources to kidnap, 
drug him,

1087
01:09:13,466 --> 01:09:16,333
"and lock him up in 
a secure cave.

1088
01:09:16,333 --> 01:09:18,700
"Also, we have explored a 
convenient place

1089
01:09:18,700 --> 01:09:21,100
"for a more permanent base 
to watch over his entrance.

1090
01:09:21,100 --> 01:09:23,733
"We're testing two cameras as 
planned for his father's

1091
01:09:23,733 --> 01:09:27,233
"apartment to install, 
and one at the parking

1092
01:09:27,233 --> 01:09:30,166
next to the car."

1093
01:09:30,166 --> 01:09:32,500
They were planning to install

1094
01:09:32,500 --> 01:09:34,166
cameras at 
my father's apartment.

1095
01:09:34,166 --> 01:09:36,066
Then later that night:

1096
01:09:36,066 --> 01:09:39,666
"Tomorrow, we'll start testing 
the scenarios for an ambush.

1097
01:09:39,666 --> 01:09:41,600
"I definitely have at least one

1098
01:09:41,600 --> 01:09:43,366
"with a bit of 
sadistic attitude,

1099
01:09:43,366 --> 01:09:45,333
"who would love to be 
trained how to kill...

1100
01:09:45,333 --> 01:09:49,900
...and to kill painfully, 
not just with one shot".

1101
01:09:51,200 --> 01:09:53,100
Then Marsalek writes:

1102
01:09:53,100 --> 01:09:55,266
"If we would find someone, 
we could contract

1103
01:09:55,266 --> 01:09:57,800
"for a suicide attack on him, 
that would be the best.

1104
01:09:57,800 --> 01:10:01,533
"Attacks him, 
cuts off his head in the street

1105
01:10:01,533 --> 01:10:03,266
and then blows up himself."

1106
01:10:04,900 --> 01:10:06,166
Jesus.

1107
01:10:07,333 --> 01:10:09,500
>> Is this beyond-- I mean, 
you obviously knew headlines

1108
01:10:09,500 --> 01:10:10,733
from the "Met," but is this--

1109
01:10:10,733 --> 01:10:11,900
>> CHRISTO: 
No, this is way beyond,

1110
01:10:11,900 --> 01:10:14,566
I mean...

1111
01:10:14,566 --> 01:10:16,433
...they never told me 
what the plans were.

1112
01:10:16,433 --> 01:10:19,533
They, they never told me

1113
01:10:19,533 --> 01:10:21,566
that they went 
to my dad's apartment,

1114
01:10:21,566 --> 01:10:23,300
other than that photo 
they showed.

1115
01:10:23,300 --> 01:10:27,466
But they seem to have-- 
and the concept of an ambush,

1116
01:10:27,466 --> 01:10:30,133
and let alone the decapitation.

1117
01:10:30,133 --> 01:10:31,900
I mean, no, obviously nobody 
told me that before.

1118
01:10:34,333 --> 01:10:37,133
It's clearly distressing 
to read it.

1119
01:10:39,800 --> 01:10:41,733
Second of November:

1120
01:10:41,733 --> 01:10:45,200
"We have two people in Vienna 
on an almost constant basis.

1121
01:10:45,200 --> 01:10:48,833
"They brought special gas.

1122
01:10:48,833 --> 01:10:52,000
"So their suggestion is to wait 
Grozev to fall asleep.

1123
01:10:52,000 --> 01:10:55,333
Then they release the gas 
inside the apartment."

1124
01:10:55,333 --> 01:10:58,000
Jesus.

1125
01:10:58,000 --> 01:11:01,833
Marsalek writes: "Now that 
would be (bleep) glorious."

1126
01:11:01,833 --> 01:11:05,200
"And then burglarize everything

1127
01:11:05,200 --> 01:11:07,766
while he's dead sleeping."

1128
01:11:10,633 --> 01:11:11,866
>> That's your home in Vienna.

1129
01:11:11,866 --> 01:11:13,600
>> CHRISTO: 
That's my home in Vienna.

1130
01:11:13,600 --> 01:11:15,966
With my family and my kids 
there.

1131
01:11:17,900 --> 01:11:19,666
(sighs)

1132
01:11:21,800 --> 01:11:24,366
(bleep)

1133
01:11:27,133 --> 01:11:30,466
>> Police! 
Police, stay where you are!

1134
01:11:30,466 --> 01:11:31,933
Police! Stay there!

1135
01:11:31,933 --> 01:11:33,600
Stay there, stay there, 
stay there!

1136
01:11:33,600 --> 01:11:36,566
Show me your hands! 
Get in there, get in there!

1137
01:11:36,566 --> 01:11:39,033
>> Some more breaking news 
to bring you now.

1138
01:11:39,033 --> 01:11:40,566
Three Bulgarians have been 
found guilty

1139
01:11:40,566 --> 01:11:42,700
of spying for Russia.

1140
01:11:42,700 --> 01:11:44,300
Of being part of a spy unit, 
in fact,

1141
01:11:44,300 --> 01:11:46,333
run by Wirecard fugitive

1142
01:11:46,333 --> 01:11:49,200
Jan Marsalek.

1143
01:11:49,200 --> 01:11:55,066
>> Roussev moved to the U.K. as 
a businessman over 15 years ago.

1144
01:11:55,066 --> 01:11:57,866
After being recruited as a 
Russian spy,

1145
01:11:57,866 --> 01:11:59,800
he recruited other Bulgarians

1146
01:11:59,800 --> 01:12:02,366
working in normal jobs 
to carry out

1147
01:12:02,366 --> 01:12:05,366
surveillance, 
including Bizer Dzhambazov

1148
01:12:05,366 --> 01:12:06,933
and girlfriend

1149
01:12:06,933 --> 01:12:09,133
Katrin Ivanova:

1150
01:12:09,133 --> 01:12:13,400
a couple who ran courses in 
London teaching British values.

1151
01:12:13,400 --> 01:12:15,700
>> Introduction 
to British values...

1152
01:12:15,700 --> 01:12:18,300
>> Throughout Europe 
they spied on journalists

1153
01:12:18,300 --> 01:12:21,100
Christo Grozev 
and Roman Dobrokhotov,

1154
01:12:21,100 --> 01:12:25,200
who exposed Russia's role in the 
Salisbury nerve agent attack,

1155
01:12:25,200 --> 01:12:29,466
with the cell deploying these 
spy glasses to film them.

1156
01:12:29,466 --> 01:12:33,966
Using the glasses to film 
Christo Grozev on a plane.

1157
01:12:35,766 --> 01:12:38,766
Sending the footage 
in real time to the cell.

1158
01:12:46,066 --> 01:12:48,433
♪ ♪

1159
01:12:48,433 --> 01:12:50,033
(sighs)

1160
01:12:50,033 --> 01:12:52,033
>> (softly): Okay.

1161
01:12:54,766 --> 01:12:56,566
Vladimir Kara-Murza's last 
statement

1162
01:12:56,566 --> 01:12:58,266
to Russian court.

1163
01:13:00,066 --> 01:13:03,433
(in Russian):

1164
01:13:26,566 --> 01:13:29,566
"As a historian, this is an 
occasion for reflection.

1165
01:13:29,566 --> 01:13:32,033
"At one point during my 
testimony,

1166
01:13:32,033 --> 01:13:33,800
"the presiding judge reminded me

1167
01:13:33,800 --> 01:13:37,466
"that one of the extenuating 
circumstances was remorse

1168
01:13:37,466 --> 01:13:39,366
"for what the accused has done,

1169
01:13:39,366 --> 01:13:42,266
"and although there is little 
that's amusing

1170
01:13:42,266 --> 01:13:46,266
"about my present situation, 
I could not help smiling.

1171
01:13:46,266 --> 01:13:49,500
"I'm in jail 
for my political views,

1172
01:13:49,500 --> 01:13:52,100
"for speaking out against 
the war in Ukraine,

1173
01:13:52,100 --> 01:13:53,333
"for many years of struggle

1174
01:13:53,333 --> 01:13:55,900
"against Vladimir Putin's 
dictatorship.

1175
01:13:55,900 --> 01:13:59,866
Not only do I not repent of any 
of this, I am proud of it."

1176
01:14:00,766 --> 01:14:03,900
>> (in Russian):

1177
01:14:05,000 --> 01:14:07,900
>> "I know the verdict, 
I knew it a year ago

1178
01:14:07,900 --> 01:14:11,300
"when I saw people in 
black uniforms and black masks

1179
01:14:11,300 --> 01:14:13,566
"running after my car.

1180
01:14:13,566 --> 01:14:16,833
Such is the price for 
speaking up in Russia today."

1181
01:14:19,133 --> 01:14:23,866
>> (in Russian):

1182
01:14:35,233 --> 01:14:37,400
>> "But I also know that the day

1183
01:14:37,400 --> 01:14:39,566
"will come when the darkness 
over our country

1184
01:14:39,566 --> 01:14:42,533
"will dissipate, 
when black will be called black

1185
01:14:42,533 --> 01:14:44,766
"and white will be called white,

1186
01:14:44,766 --> 01:14:47,000
"when a war 
will be called a war,

1187
01:14:47,000 --> 01:14:49,933
"and when those who kindled 
and unleashed this war

1188
01:14:49,933 --> 01:14:52,100
"rather than those 
who tried to stop it,

1189
01:14:52,100 --> 01:14:55,000
"will be recognized as 
criminals.

1190
01:14:55,000 --> 01:14:57,633
"This day will come as 
inevitably

1191
01:14:57,633 --> 01:14:58,966
"as spring follows even

1192
01:14:58,966 --> 01:15:02,000
"the coldest winter 
and then our society will open

1193
01:15:02,000 --> 01:15:05,366
"its eyes and be horrified by 
what terrible crimes

1194
01:15:05,366 --> 01:15:07,800
"were committed on his behalf.

1195
01:15:11,433 --> 01:15:13,600
"From this realization,

1196
01:15:13,600 --> 01:15:16,333
"from this reflection, 
the long difficult

1197
01:15:16,333 --> 01:15:18,766
"but vital path toward 
the recovery

1198
01:15:18,766 --> 01:15:21,933
"and restoration of Russia, 
its return to the community

1199
01:15:21,933 --> 01:15:24,600
"of civilized countries, 
will begin.

1200
01:15:26,166 --> 01:15:29,166
"Even today, even in the 
darkness surrounding us,

1201
01:15:29,166 --> 01:15:31,133
"even sitting in this cage,

1202
01:15:31,133 --> 01:15:34,800
I love my country 
and believe in our people."

1203
01:15:34,800 --> 01:15:36,733
>> (in Russian):

1204
01:15:42,000 --> 01:15:45,333
>> "I believe that 
we can walk this path."

1205
01:15:53,966 --> 01:15:56,700
>> Breaking news. 
Fast moving, breaking news.

1206
01:15:56,700 --> 01:15:59,266
Per a senior 
administration official,

1207
01:15:59,266 --> 01:16:00,933
there is a prisoner swap 
underway right now

1208
01:16:00,933 --> 01:16:02,533
between Russia, the United 
States, and other countries.

1209
01:16:02,533 --> 01:16:04,733
That is all we know. 
That is all we can say.

1210
01:16:04,733 --> 01:16:06,566
That is all we can report 
at this moment.

1211
01:16:06,566 --> 01:16:08,733
♪ ♪

1212
01:16:08,733 --> 01:16:10,566
>> Following 
Alexei Navalny's death,

1213
01:16:10,566 --> 01:16:12,166
we thought this hope 
was lost with him.

1214
01:16:14,200 --> 01:16:16,600
But in the background, 
negotiations continued,

1215
01:16:16,600 --> 01:16:20,533
insisting that this time Putin 
must pay a much

1216
01:16:20,533 --> 01:16:23,233
higher price 
for his assassin, Krasikov.

1217
01:16:26,166 --> 01:16:28,933
In the end, 16 people

1218
01:16:28,933 --> 01:16:31,766
were released by the Kremlin, 
including American reporter

1219
01:16:31,766 --> 01:16:33,100
Evan Gershkovich,

1220
01:16:34,966 --> 01:16:38,400
former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan,

1221
01:16:38,400 --> 01:16:40,566
Russian critics Oleg Orlov,

1222
01:16:40,566 --> 01:16:44,166
Ilya Yashin, 
and Vladimir Kara-Murza.

1223
01:16:44,166 --> 01:16:45,966
♪ ♪

1224
01:16:45,966 --> 01:16:46,966
>> VLADIMIR 
(in Russian, on speaker):

1225
01:16:46,966 --> 01:16:49,633
>> (in Russian):

1226
01:16:49,633 --> 01:16:50,766
>> VLADIMIR:

1227
01:16:50,766 --> 01:16:52,433
>> VLADIMIR'S DAUGHTER:

1228
01:16:52,433 --> 01:16:53,433
(sniffles)

1229
01:16:53,433 --> 01:16:54,433
>> VLADIMIR:

1230
01:16:54,433 --> 01:16:57,266
>> VLADIMIR'S DAUGHTER:

1231
01:16:57,266 --> 01:16:59,100
>> VLADIMIR:

1232
01:16:59,100 --> 01:17:00,833
>> VLADIMIR'S DAUGHTER:

1233
01:17:02,333 --> 01:17:04,466
>> VLADIMIR:

1234
01:17:31,833 --> 01:17:33,033
It's important to remember

1235
01:17:33,033 --> 01:17:34,866
that the regime 
of Vladimir Putin

1236
01:17:34,866 --> 01:17:36,100
is not just 
an authoritarian regime,

1237
01:17:36,100 --> 01:17:37,233
it is a regime of murderers.

1238
01:17:43,900 --> 01:17:49,066
Each of us was accompanied by 
our personal FSB officer.

1239
01:17:51,833 --> 01:17:55,533
The moment our plane 
was taking off, he told me,

1240
01:17:55,533 --> 01:17:57,600
"Look out the window, 
that's the last time

1241
01:17:57,600 --> 01:17:59,900
you're seeing your motherland." 
(laughs)

1242
01:17:59,900 --> 01:18:03,033
I told him, "Look, man, 
I'm a historian by education.

1243
01:18:03,033 --> 01:18:07,200
"I don't only... feel.

1244
01:18:07,200 --> 01:18:08,800
"I don't only believe.

1245
01:18:08,800 --> 01:18:12,266
"I know that I'll be back 
in my home country,

1246
01:18:12,266 --> 01:18:14,366
and it'll be much quicker 
than you think."

1247
01:18:14,366 --> 01:18:19,300
♪ ♪

1248
01:18:39,633 --> 01:18:44,566
♪ ♪

1249
01:19:25,966 --> 01:19:27,600
>> CHRISTO: 
The autopsy results came back

1250
01:19:27,600 --> 01:19:29,400
but they're inconclusive.

1251
01:19:33,066 --> 01:19:36,200
So I will never know for sure 
what happened to my dad.

1252
01:19:43,000 --> 01:19:46,366
Yeah, usually I would knock 
and he will open,

1253
01:19:46,366 --> 01:19:50,466
and he'll like be 
full of energy and smiling,

1254
01:19:50,466 --> 01:19:52,533
and start telling me about 
his new theory

1255
01:19:52,533 --> 01:19:55,266
on how to get rid of Putin.

1256
01:20:01,066 --> 01:20:03,533
>> I guess when you're on 
the other side of the world,

1257
01:20:03,533 --> 01:20:05,833
it's easier to think of it 
in the abstract.

1258
01:20:05,833 --> 01:20:07,233
>> CHRISTO: Exactly.

1259
01:20:09,000 --> 01:20:11,533
And the whole drive to here, 
I mean you, like,

1260
01:20:11,533 --> 01:20:14,100
hundreds of times 
it ended up with a,

1261
01:20:14,100 --> 01:20:18,466
with something I was 
looking forward, 35 minutes,

1262
01:20:18,466 --> 01:20:23,266
just have a beer with him or a 
coffee, mandatory coffee.

1263
01:20:25,466 --> 01:20:29,466
With... earlier with him 
and my mum

1264
01:20:29,466 --> 01:20:33,400
and now just with him 
for the last year, and now uh,

1265
01:20:33,400 --> 01:20:37,633
I still had the sort of 
exhilaration during the trip,

1266
01:20:37,633 --> 01:20:40,866
subconsciously, 
but it stops here.

1267
01:20:49,000 --> 01:20:51,766
They've attempted to infiltrate 
every part of my life.

1268
01:20:53,333 --> 01:20:55,000
Now, I can't trust anyone,

1269
01:20:55,000 --> 01:20:58,266
because the threat to me 
remains unchanged.

1270
01:21:02,900 --> 01:21:08,733
It's almost like a... 
bounty system

1271
01:21:08,733 --> 01:21:11,066
from the old wild west 
where you don't know how many

1272
01:21:11,066 --> 01:21:14,200
killers are out there for you,

1273
01:21:14,200 --> 01:21:16,900
because there's an order, 
a kill order.

1274
01:21:16,900 --> 01:21:21,400
So basically there's a, a coin 
or a medal or whatever

1275
01:21:21,400 --> 01:21:23,533
that's given to several people

1276
01:21:23,533 --> 01:21:27,633
who are pursuing this outcome 
for the Kremlin.

1277
01:21:27,633 --> 01:21:33,266
So that's why there's no way to 
investigate myself out of it.

1278
01:21:33,266 --> 01:21:36,400
The only hope is 
for this regime to fall

1279
01:21:36,400 --> 01:21:40,166
before the order 
is fulfilled by somebody.

1280
01:21:44,633 --> 01:21:50,566
♪ ♪

1281
01:22:35,600 --> 01:22:37,266
>> NARRATOR: Go to 
pbs.org/frontline.

1282
01:22:37,266 --> 01:22:39,733
>> Russia's regime has been 
permitted to persecute its

1283
01:22:39,733 --> 01:22:43,200
opponents domestically without 
legal consequences for decades.

1284
01:22:43,200 --> 01:22:45,733
They remain incentivized to 
treat the rest of the world

1285
01:22:45,733 --> 01:22:47,000
as a playing ground.

1286
01:22:47,000 --> 01:22:49,033
>> NARRATOR: And see more of 
our reporting on

1287
01:22:49,033 --> 01:22:51,200
dissent in 
Putin's Russia.

1288
01:22:51,200 --> 01:22:53,933
Visit the FRONTLINE archive 
where you can stream more than

1289
01:22:53,933 --> 01:22:55,966
300 documentaries.

1290
01:22:55,966 --> 01:22:58,500
>> Connect with FRONTLINE on 
Facebook and Instagram

1291
01:22:58,500 --> 01:23:01,333
and stream anytime 
on the PBS app,

1292
01:23:01,333 --> 01:23:04,266
YouTube, or pbs.org/frontline.

1293
01:23:24,133 --> 01:23:25,133
Captioned by

1294
01:23:25,133 --> 01:23:26,133
Media Access Group at WGBH

1295
01:23:26,133 --> 01:23:28,566
access.wgbh.org

1296
01:23:32,300 --> 01:23:34,633
>> For more on this and other 
"FRONTLINE" programs,

1297
01:23:34,633 --> 01:23:38,800
visit our website at 
pbs.org/frontline.

1298
01:23:38,800 --> 01:23:53,633
♪ ♪

1299
01:23:53,633 --> 01:23:55,433
FRONTLINE's "Antidote"

1300
01:23:55,433 --> 01:23:58,266
is available on Amazon 
Prime Video.

1301
01:23:58,266 --> 01:24:03,200
♪ ♪