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Thread. In a new development for mainstream Ukrainian media neo-Nazis in Ukraine are suddenly real and problematic, per @prm_ua video report on the Azov Movement& its leaders. Yet apparently it's ONLY AN ISSUE if said neo-Nazis are opposed to Poroshenko
Report throws everything &a kitchen sink at far-right the Azov movement (it's suggested they're pro-Russian and led by neo-Nazis among many things), while TOUTING ANOTHER ALLEGED NEO-NAZI GROUP C14 also known for attacks on rights activists, LGBT, and pol opponents in Ukraine. 
Report leans heavily on Yevhen Karas, leader of C14, for comments re the National Corps (pol wing of the Azov movement) leaders. But both the National Corps and C14 are "nationalist hate groups" according to a recent @StateDept report on human right in UA state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrp…
And prior to the @StateDept report C14 regularly made it on rights orgs' reports regarding far-right violence in Ukraine NEXT TO Azov's the National Corps, and the National Militia. Like so: hrw.org/news/2018/06/1… and so khpg.org/en/index.php?i… and so khpg.org/en/index.php?i…
C14 and the National Corps cooperated extensively over the years & former C14 members are currently leaders of the National Corps in Kyiv. You can't tell the two apart on many issues, and they joined forces on numerous occasions.
Which brings us to the election in UA in 2019. The difference between the National Corps and C14 is that the latter is reportedly linked to Ukraine's Secret Service & allegedly does Poroshehnko's bidding during the election campaign (like so: ) ...
While the National Corps (the Azov movement) is linked to Ukraine's minister of Internal Affairs Avakov& now openly attacks alleged corruption in Poroshenko's circles.
According to Ukrainian politician Serhiy Leshchenko, Poroshenko is determined to completely strip Avakov of influence once re-elected. Hence Avakov is in the battle for survival in trying to thwart Poro's re-election/ boost his competitors
You can read about Avakov's ties to the National Corps/ the Azov movement in my report for @bellingcat. Go to "Azov and the Ukrainian Government: Blurred Lines" section here bellingcat.com/news/uk-and-eu…
Oh and yet another familiar face in @prm_ua report that alleges the Azov movement is pro-Russian is ... Dmytro Korchynky who himself has historical ties to Russian Eurasianist alleged Kremlin ideologue Dugin. In the report, Korchynsky apparently speaks out against the Azov mov.
To be precise, leader of the National Corps Sergey Korotkih is the only leader of the Azov movement depicted specifically as a "neo-Nazi" and "a Russian neo-nazi"(!) in the report, while it's being suggested that the movement is essentially anti-Ukrainian, can carry out a coup...
The report fails to mention that Korotkih received Ukrainian citizenship from @poroshenko (pravda.com.ua/news/2014/12/5…), claims Korotkih wants to seize power in Ukraine for himself (lol). Various statements by Korotkih representative of the National Corps are introduced as his own
Bottom line: The report suggests that the only neo-Nazis in Ukraine are the ones that can be linked to Russia albeit at the expense of ignoring their very much pro-Ukrainian stance spanning years, mil service etc.
It's likely that we'll see more of such rhetorical acrobatics and selective treatment from media & gov in Ukraine. But will there be the kind of action that international rights organizations have been calling for? hrw.org/news/2018/06/1…
