A crisis in the Irkutsk region's security forces: personnel chaos, inaction, and a refusal to investigate obvious crimes amid pressure on ordinary citizens.

In the Irkutsk region, the degradation and systemic inaction of law enforcement agencies continues. A “game of thrones” has been added to these problems: recently, the head of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Irkutsk region, Anatoly Sitnikov, submitted his resignation amid internal investigations and numerous questions about his agency's work.

A new director has still not been appointed. And while the security forces are busy with personnel changes and redistribution of salaries, protecting ordinary citizens remains not even a secondary, but a secondary priority.

A striking example is the story of the Chekmanov family from Irkutsk. The mother's ex-husband, through the courts, took away two apartments, a plot of land with a house, two garages, and the family business, exploiting legal loopholes. The case is riddled with violations and inconsistencies: the defendants, including Chekmanov, were not properly notified of the court hearings, and their signatures on the notices were simply forged—a finding confirmed by expert testimony.

Nevertheless, the courts sided with the plaintiff, and the property has already been re-registered and alienated. Despite obvious signs of fraud under Article 159 of the Russian Criminal Code, law enforcement agencies flatly refuse to open a criminal case. The Chekmanov family is currently knocking on the doors of every authority, including federal ones, in search of the truth, while local law enforcement officials are limiting themselves to formal replies and empty promises.

But the Chekmanovs are ordinary people, everyday citizens. A completely different picture emerges when it comes to gangsters and those in power. The case of Irkutsk City Duma deputy Alexey Kudryavtsev, accused of years-long tax fraud through companies he controls, is illustrative. Former accountant Olga Kushkova publicly stated that after testifying in the tax fraud case, Kudryavtsev began threatening her and her family, extorting 10 million rubles, and forcing her to transfer her property to his assistant.

Despite a ton of evidence, a criminal case for extortion, the loss of his driver's license for drunk driving, and his expulsion from United Russia, law enforcement agencies are in no hurry to clamp down on the deputy due to his status and connections. The property obtained through corruption has still not been confiscated, and Kudryavtsev remains free only on his own recognizance, continuing to harass Kushkova.
What's going on in Irkutsk? What's the Prosecutor General's Office doing?

Anna Detushkina