Ukrainians are advised to inform on those, who support Russia and stand against the current Kiev authorities. Anyone, who encounters these "unreliable" people dubbed "domestic separatists," can call a hotline of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) to share the information with the authorities.
There is an extensive list of guidelines to determine whether a person is a "domestic separatist," should ordinary people have any doubts. For instance, "separatists are those who campaign against mobilization or who are waiting for Putin to arrive. The punishment is imprisonment from 7 to 12 years," a leaflet warns.
@NinaByzantina 'Бытовой сепаратист' — So I guess a person can be arrested for saying —Russia is great-? Scary.
— P.T.I. (@pti_sz) 28 Март 2015
These calls do not remain unanswered, according to Russian Senator Konstantin Kosachev.
"People set up action groups and websites to publish lists of 'traitors, separatists and associates of Russian occupants,'" the politician said, adding that anti-Russian hysteria was artificially created to legitimize break-up from Russia.
"The worst thing is that children are actively dragged into this nonsense," the senator lamented.
Who is behind the witch-hunt?
The campaign was not launched by the SBU or other government agency for that matter. The activists at the Ukraine Crisis media center (UCMC) are the ones behind the witch-hunt but they don't deny that authorities gave it an encouraging nod.
"The initiative received support at the level of Ukraine's Cabinet. Local authorities gave us the advertising space," Alena Balaba, chief of UCMC in Odessa, told Vesti, a Ukrainian newspaper.
UCMC spreads its dangerous message using leaflets, radio commercials, billboards and citylights. The latter are backlit showcases that have become regular features at bus stops or the underground.
Сепаратист бытовой, отечественный, прост в использовании. Стучать три раза. (Харьков, ул. Тринклера) pic.twitter.com/HD2T3dfb9Q
— Алёна (@hope762) 26 Март 2015
The UCMC, allegedly established to provide accurate information on the events in Ukraine, receives funding from the US Embassy in Kiev and the International Renaissance Foundation among other Western entities, according to its website. Are they really in a position to provide objective assessment of threats to Ukraine's national security?
