Prosecutor: Pro-Kremlin agitator tried to set up armed anti-state militia in Estonia
Leading member of political party KOOS Aivo Peterson, on trial for treason against the Estonian state, attempted to set up a potentially armed militia and received advice from individuals linked to the Russian intelligence agency the GRU, Postimees reported.
State Prosecutor Triinu Olev-Aas revealed during closing remarks last week what had been said in closed hearings in the Peterson trial.
This included the prosecution's claim that a nationwide "civil defense" ("Tsiviilkaitse") unit to be established under the KOOS umbrella was intended to take on the role of a paramilitary force in a power vacuum.
Olev-Aas said the unit intended to involve firearm license holders and would be presented publicly as a charity.
It was developed with guidance from individuals linked to Russia's foreign military intelligence agency the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU), she added.
Last week, Olev-Aas said Peterson should be handed a 17-year prison sentence for treason.
You can read the full article HERE in English.
Who is Aivo Peterson?
Aivo Peterson, 55, born Aivo Krõlov, is a former border guard and politician who co-founded the KOOS party ahead of the 2023 Riigikogu election. He traveled to Russian-occupied Ukraine before the election, making propaganda videos, and later claimed the Bucha massacre was "staged." Despite not winning a seat, he received notable vote totals in both the 2023 national and 2024 European elections. He was also condemned by Estonia's Jewish community for comparing the revocation of voting rights for stateless persons to the Holocaust.
What is the KOOS party?
KOOS/Vmeste ("Together") was founded in May 2022 by Aivo Peterson and crypto businessman Oleg Ivanov, and allied with the United Left Party (EÜVP) in the 2023 elections. The party promotes a pro-Kremlin, socially conservative agenda, including calls to leave NATO, reduce defense spending, extend citizenship to 1991 residents, and preserve Soviet-era monuments.
What are the charges against Peterson and his co-defendants?
On March 10, 2023, just after the Riigikogu elections, the Internal Security Service (ISS) arrested Peterson, Dmitri Rootsi, and another defendant, Andrei Andronov, on suspicion of acting against the Republic of Estonia. Prosecutors allege Peterson and Rootsi helped Russian authorities in non-violent efforts to undermine Estonia's independence, and on May 22, requested prison sentences of 17, 13, and 11 years, respectively.
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Editor: Mirjam Mäekivi, Andrew Whyte, Helen Wright
Source: Postimees
