A Russian businessman has successfully secured a legal injunction to ban a book in Germany that delves into the Kremlin and its spy agencies. This case, characterized by freedom of speech groups as an alarming assault on public interest reporting, involved London-based Russian journalists Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan, who interviewed the businessman, Alexey Kozlov, for their 2019 book “The Compatriots” due to his family’s historical ties to Soviet intelligence.
The court injunction was obtained against the book’s publisher. Index on Censorship, along with 15 other freedom of expression groups, including PEN International and Article 19 Europe, issued a statement expressing concerns about the use of “intimidatory tactics” to silence critics of the Russian regime residing abroad.
A Russian businessman, Alexey Kozlov, has secured a legal injunction to ban a book in Germany about the Kremlin and its spy agencies. The book, “The Compatriots,” was written by London-based Russian journalists Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan.
Kozlov claims that the book defames him, while the journalists argue that the disputed passages in the book are based on Kozlov’s own statements during an interview in Moscow in 2018.
The case has raised concerns about freedom of speech and is seen as an attempt to silence critics of the Russian regime living abroad. The ruling temporarily bans sales of the English-language ebook of “The Compatriots” in Germany, but already printed copies are not affected. Kozlov’s lawyers have demanded that all books worldwide be withdrawn from circulation.
The appeal against the Hamburg ruling by the publisher is scheduled for December 8. Hachette expressed surprise at Alexey Kozlov’s legal complaint, filed three years after the book’s publication, and highlighted that the journalists have recordings of their interviews with Kozlov, made with his consent. Hachette has agreed to correct two minor errors in the book. Journalist Andrei Soldatov believes the case aims to tarnish their reputation as individuals knowledgeable about Russia’s security services and intends to hinder their journalistic activities for western media publications.
Simultaneously, Russia has intensified its measures against critics, and the Kremlin declared Soldatov a “foreign agent” around the time of the injunction. This designation requires him to disclose his expenditures to the authorities, label articles and posts as coming from an “agent,” and sell his books in a special package marked 18-plus.
Soldatov has been charged by prosecutors with discrediting the armed forces under 2022 media laws, which prohibit criticism of Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine. His Russian bank accounts have been frozen as a result.
Soldatov views Kozlov’s injunction as part of a broader pattern of Russians pursuing legal action in Germany. This trend is reminiscent of the 1980s when Vladimir Putin served as an undercover KGB foreign intelligence officer in Dresden, East Germany.
Kozlov relocated to Berlin in 2017 following four years of imprisonment in Moscow due to a business dispute. His step-great-grandfather, Nahum Eitingon, a celebrated Soviet spy, orchestrated Trotsky’s murder on Stalin’s orders, recruiting the Spanish assassin Ramón Mercader.
Zoya Zarubina, Eitingon’s stepdaughter and Kozlov’s grandmother, also served in the KGB. Additionally, Kozlov’s great-grandfather, Vasily Zarubin, was a Soviet general who operated as Stalin’s undercover intelligence chief in America during the Second World War.
Kozlov vehemently denies any involvement in Russian espionage, asserting that his successful banking career resulted from his own merit. He highlights his public activities, such as presenting the Russian edition of a book about Zarubin and speaking at a press conference, as evidence of his openness.
In a Facebook post last month, Kozlov accused Soldatov and Borogan of unprofessional behavior, expressing shock at discovering references to himself in the book. He claims that he sought legal action to rectify what he sees as a distorted and slanderous portrayal, emphasizing his desire for the authors to admit their errors.
Index on Censorship has expressed deep concern about the case, suggesting that Soldatov’s inclusion on Russia’s wanted list and the injunction against their book are efforts to intimidate and isolate the journalists. The organization contends that this legal action sends a message to other Russian dissidents, urging silence to avoid similar tactics.
Kozlov’s lawyer, Walter Scheuerl, maintains that his client’s intention is not to ban the book but to halt the spread of what he considers false and damaging allegations, protecting Kozlov’s personal rights. Scheuerl rejects any insinuation that the Russian state is involved in the proceedings.
Reflecting on the broader context, Soldatov notes the increasing difficulty of publishing books about wealthy Russians due to potential legal costs, citing the case of Catherine Belton, the former Moscow bureau chief for the Financial Times. After being sued by several oligarchs, including Roman Abramovich, Belton settled her libel claim, and Abramovich is now under sanctions in the UK, EU, and US.
Soldatov sees the attack on the publisher as a strategic move to impede the flow of information, preventing the dissemination of insights into Russian intelligence operations against émigrés. Borogan adds a sense of irony, highlighting Kozlov’s familial connections to Stalin’s top assassin while attempting to ban a book on Russian intelligence operations.
