Pro-Kremlin propagandist Oleg Bessedin detained by ISS
The Internal Security Service (ISS) on Tuesday detained a man on suspicion of violations of European Union sanctions and crimes against the Estonian state.
Oleg Bessedin has been running a pro-Kremlin Facebook group which spreads Russian disinformation.
Bessedin had been on the ISS radar for years, and according to the Office of the Prosecutor General, has taken part in Russian disinformation influence activities, in cooperation with individuals acting in the interests of Russian intelligence services since well before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Bessedin curated a Russian-language Facebook group called "Tallinnlased" ("Tallinners"), which has been actively involved in spreading disinformation, and is suspected of repeatedly distributing content from sanctioned Russian media channels.
This constitutes EU sanctions violations and non-violent activity counter to Estonian interests.
"In Estonia, any non-violent activity counter to the Republic of Estonia which harms our independence, sovereignty, or territorial integrity is punishable as a crime against the state. This includes the active and purposeful participation in Russian influence activities. According to the suspicion, Oleg Bessedin's actions have gone beyond the boundaries of constitutionally protected discourse, and have turned into targeted activity in the interests of a state hostile to Estonia," lead State Prosecutor Taavi Pern said.
Taavi Narits, Deputy Director General of the ISS, known in Estonian by the acronym KAPO, noted: "We had previously referred to the security threats related to Bessedin's activities in our annual reports and public statements. By now, there is reason to suspect Bessedin of a crime against the state."
Kremlin information influencing activities, which Bessedin is suspected of taking part in, aimed to create opportunities for Russia to interfere in the internal affairs of the Republic of Estonia," Narits added.
Activities detailed as far back as 2011
The Internal Security Service's Yearbook detailed Bessedin's activities as far back as 2011.
The report stated that Russia uses local extremists in Estonia for its propaganda efforts, often the only "sources" in producing news stories, plus in addition to these extremists are others who assist Russian TV channels in their propaganda work, in every possible way. Bessedin fitted into this latter category.
"One of the main such collaborators is Tallinn-based businessman Oleg Bessedin, who claims to represent the TV channels ORT, RTR, Zvezda, REN TV, and Peterburg's Channel 5 in Estonia," 2011 yearbook stated.
According to the ISS, Bessedin, who produces the TV channel TVN via a company owned by his parents, has close ties with Russian journalists who have been producing highly biased coverage of Estonia, assisting them in everything from logistics and finding contacts, to carrying out camera operating duties.
Bessedin was detained on November 4.
The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by the ISS and led by the Office of the Prosecutor General.
The news follows last month's jailing of a member of the volunteer Defense League (EDL). Ivan Dmitrijev was found guilty of conducting and supporting intelligence activities directed against the Republic of Estonia in passing information about defense forces exercises and other sensitive information Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB)
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Mirjam Mäekivi
