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I've written a lot of weird stories, but this one with @bellingcat takes the cake. A loose thread turned into a tangled web, looping in Libyan money in Ghana, border-hopping in Montenegro, Russian lobbyists and some unexpected familiar faces https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2021/04/13/the-curious-case-of-cipdh-fantasy-passports-misappropriated-identities-and-human-rights-defenders/
This story started with one of the biggest double takes I've ever done. Scrolling through the site of a French human rights organisation, I came across 'Robert Comune', 'Pakolov Zbishik' and 'Wacław Kozakiewicz'. #Auspol Twitter users may also be double-taking right now.
In reality, 'Robert', 'Pakolov' and 'Wacław' are in fact current and former Australian politicians Scott Ludlam, Bob Brown and Adam Bandt.
I have no idea how they got away with this for so many years. I can only assume the Venn diagram overlap of people looking at French human rights organisations linked to Russian lobbyists and people who recognise minor party Australian politicians by sight is actually quite small
Other key members of CIPDH's team also turned out to be using stolen photographs. For example, their chief legal officer 'Anna Bozin' is actually the singer Lia Ices. After we contacted them, CIPDH removed a total of 16 profiles from their team page.
Obviously, this was super weird and I wasn't going to let it go. I had no idea at that point that I was just glimpsing the tip of a huge iceberg of weirdness.
CIPDH has used fantasy passports, imitation license plates, and for years has claimed to be associated with the United Nations. However, when we asked the UN told @bellingcat that it has no relationship with this organisation.
They may not have been working with the UN as they claimed, but they certainly have been busy.
CIPDH has been connected to a range of curious international incidents, from former Libyan intelligence officials allegedly moving Qaddafi's wealth out via Ghana, as reported by @shootingthemess and @ak_mack... https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/03/23/human-rights-crime-cipdh-russia-united-nations/
... to the organisation's Vice President, a Montenegrin businessman who in 2020 reportedly spirited himself across the Serbian border, despite being banned from the country, after allegedly committing a violent extortion attempt - a little odd for a VP of a 'human rights' group.
As if that wasn't enough, others linked to this group include individuals who have played key roles in supporting Russia's annexation of Crimea, and the Russian lobbyist who helped fundraise for the legal costs of convicted foreign agent Maria Butina. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/03/alexander-ionov-helps-fund-maria-butinas-legal-bills/585112/
Confused about how all this fits together? You should be. Investigating this story has been by turns bizarre, frustrating and comical. I've never had so many genuine laugh out loud moments with a story like this.
So if you like weird, winding stories full of 'interesting' characters, unexpected twists and some moments of hilarious absurdity, this one's worth your time https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2021/04/13/the-curious-case-of-cipdh-fantasy-passports-misappropriated-identities-and-human-rights-defenders/
