Brothers' Circle Explained

The Brothers' Circle or Bratski Krug (Russian: Братский круг) is a term used to refer to Russian organized crime, commonly the Russian mafia. It is a loose translation of the Russian term "Bratva" (Russian: Братва), which can also be loosely translated as “brotherhood” or “band of brothers". The term "bratva" received its wide dissemination in the 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and was used as an informal address among the members of many gangs which spread throughout post-soviet republics. Today the term is used as an informal way of addressing close friends. This form of address and lack of proper interpretation resulted in its name being used in connection to Russian organized crime.

With support from Spanish prosecutor José "Pepe" Grinda González and Alexander Litvinenko, Spanish, German, Austrian, and Swiss authorities from June 2005 until 2007 conducted Operation Wasp (ru|спецоперация «Оса») (es|Operación Avaspa) and, later, Operation Troika (ru|Операция «Тройка») from 2008 to 2009 which led to the arrest by 2010 of more than 60 individuals including Zakhar Kalashov.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

U.S. Department of the Treasury officials suggest that it operates in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and the United States,[9] and is controlled by Vladislav Leontyev, a Russian man from Nizhny Novgorod.[10] [11] In 2011 the group was defined by the Obama administration of the United States in the "Strategy on Combating Transnational Organized Crime",[12] as "A multiethnic criminal group composed of leaders and senior members of several criminal organizations largely based in countries of Europe. Many Brothers' Circle's members share a common ideology based on the thief in law tradition, which seeks to spread their brand of criminal influence around the world."[13]

Debate over existence

Mark Galeotti, an expert on Eurasian security, has stated that: "I have not found anyone in Russian law enforcement or elsewhere who actually says 'yes, the Brothers' Circle is an organization and it exists. As such the label Brothers' Circle could be seen as an attempt to connect disparate criminal gangs."[11] In June 2012, with the designation of five more kingpins, Galeotti restated his opinion that the Brothers' Circle did not exist as a specific gang, but noted that the sanctions were in fact targeting members of Aslan Usoyan's criminal network.[14]

Alleged members

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Harding . Luke . Litvinenko investigating Abramovich money-laundering claims, court told: Police told Russian mafia investigation was likely to see Chelsea FC owner arrested in Spain for money laundering and buying land illegally . . March 16, 2015 . September 9, 2024.
  2. News: de Waal . Thomas . Thomas de Waal . Mafiosi in the Caucasus . The National Interest . December 22, 2010 . September 9, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101224105523/http://nationalinterest.org/commentary/mafiosi-the-caucasus-4615 . December 24, 2010.
  3. News: Harding . Luke . WikiLeaks cables: Russian government 'using mafia for its dirty work': Spanish prosecutor alleges links between Kremlin and organised crime gangs have created a 'virtual mafia state' . . December 1, 2010 . September 9, 2024.
  4. News: El precedente: la 'operación Avispa' . The beginning: 'Operation Wasp' . es . Diario Sur (www.diariosur.es) . June 14, 2008 . September 9, 2024 . https://archive.today/20240909222842/https://www.diariosur.es/20080614/malaga/precedente-operacion-avispa-20080614.html . September 9, 2024.
  5. News: Detenidas 28 personas en la costa mediterránea, 22 de ellas 'capos' de las mafias de la antigua URSS . es . . June 20, 2005 . https://archive.today/20240909223533/https://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2005/06/20/sociedad/1119257209.html . September 9, 2024.
  6. News: Detenidas tres personas dentro de la operación 'Avispa' contra la criminalidad internacional . Three people arrested as part of the 'Avispa' operation against international crime . es . . June 25, 2005 . September 9, 2024 . https://archive.today/20240909223304/https://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2005/06/25/sociedad/1119694099.html . September 9, 2024.
  7. News: Tremlett . Giles . Russian mafia suspects held across Europe: Spanish police confirm operation involving Germans, Swiss and Austrians . . March 15, 2010 . September 9, 2024 . https://archive.today/20240909224241/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/mar/15/spain-russian-mafia-suspects-arrested . September 9, 2024.
  8. News: Cae en España una de las mayores mafias rusas del mundo: Al menos 20 arrestados en Málaga, Granada, Valencia, Alicante, Madrid y Baleares.- Detenido en Mallorca el jefe del clan.- La red ordenaba asesinatos, traficaba con armas y blanqueaba dinero . es . . June 13, 2008 . September 9, 2024 . https://archive.today/20240909225555/https://elpais.com/elpais/2008/06/13/actualidad/1213345017_850215.html . September 9, 2024.
  9. http://english.pravda.ru/russia/politics/07-11-2011/119544-russian_mafia-0/ "Russian mafia most powerful in the world?"
  10. Web site: Treasury Imposes Sanctions On Key Members Of The Yakuza And Brothers’ Circle Criminal Organizations . US Department of the Treasury . February 23, 2012 . September 9, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240909211800/https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/tg1430 . September 9, 2024.
  11. http://www.reportingproject.net/occrp/index.php/en/ccwatch/cc-watch-indepth/1393-what-is-the-brothers-circle "What is the Brothers’ Circle?"
  12. Web site: U.S. Attempts to Combat "Dark Side of Globalization" . Hopkins . Valerie . 26 July 2011 . Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project . https://web.archive.org/web/20111218221959/http://www.reportingproject.net/occrp/index.php/ccwatch/cc-watch-indepth/1015-us-attempts-to-combat-dark-side-of-globalization. 18 December 2011 .
  13. Web site: Remarks at White House Release of Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime. National Archives. whitehouse.gov. 25 July 2011. 3 March 2021. 6 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210306060952/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2011/07/25/remarks-white-house-release-strategy-combat-transnational-organized-crim. live.
  14. Web site: Another Go Round the 'Brothers' Circle'. In Moscow's Shadows. 7 June 2012. 22 July 2012. 10 June 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120610052920/http://inmoscowsshadows.wordpress.com/2012/06/06/another-go-round-the-brothers-circle/#more-892. live.
  15. News: The Fall and Fall of Salim Abduvaliev – Kyrgyz Authorities Place Uzbek "Kingpin" on Wanted List . . August 8, 2024 . September 9, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240909214247/https://timesca.com/the-fall-and-fall-of-salim-abduvaliev-kyrgyz-authorities-place-uzbek-kingpin-on-wanted-list/ . September 9, 2024.
  16. Web site: Marshall . William F. . FBI Organized Crime documents and items from Bruce G. Ohr (ODAG) . . July 2019 . September 9, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240822182906/https://www.judicialwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/JW-v-DOJ-Ohr-comms-production-6-01854.pdf . August 22, 2024. See pages 93-97 and 105-108 for Litvinenko; 122-126 for agenda for GLOBAL COUNTERING TRANSNATIONAL ORGANIZED CRIME (CTOC) ALUMNI COMMUNITY OF INTEREST (COI) WORKSHOP at George C. Marshall Center in GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, GERMANY, held from 1 to 4 February 2016; 134-136 for Galeotti on Russian use of gangsters; 185-197 for Rosneft money trail and Litvinenko murder; 217-312 for Kazakh and Uzbek mafia, Sam Kislin, Kronos Capital, Tchenguiz or Cengiz construction, RJR Nabisco, Borden Chemical, Apollo Management, Hexion Specialty Chemicals, Tevfik Arif, Leon or Leonid, Elena, and Julia Turovsky or Tourovsky, Castle Financial, Bayrock, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Leonid Vasilyevich Kryuchkov; and 314-320 for Manafort chronology.
  17. News: Испания: в ходе операции "Оса" арестован глава преступной организации . Spain: Head of criminal organization arrested in Operation Wasp . ru . . June 26, 2005 . September 9, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240909230315/https://ria.ru/20050626/40764894.html . September 9, 2024.
  18. News: Операция "Тройка" прошла на "отлично" . Operation Troika was a great success . ru . ntv.ru . June 13, 2008 . September 9, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240909230549/https://www.ntv.ru/video/134090/ . September 9, 2024.
  19. News: Испания: в ходе операции "Оса" арестован глава преступной организации . Spain: Head of criminal organization arrested during Operation Wasp . ru . elcontacto.ru . October 12, 2016 . September 9, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240909231631/https://elcontacto.ru/journal/novosti/ispaniya-v-hode-operacii-quot-osa-quot-arestovan-glava-prestupnoy-organizacii_2113.html . September 9, 2024.
  20. Web site: Treasury Designates Key Members of the Brothers' Circle Criminal Organization. 2012-12-21. 2013-11-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20131103003118/http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg1811.aspx. live.
  21. News: Treasury Imposes Sanctions On Key Members Of The Yakuza And Brothers' Circle Criminal Organizations . US Department of the Treasury . 2012-02-23 . June 27, 2012 . 2021-04-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210421202701/https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg1430.aspx . live .
  22. News: Obama Calls "Brothers' Circle" a National Security Threat...But Who Are They? . 12 February 2022 . Hetq.am . HETQ investigative journalists . 15 March 2012 . Yerevan, Republic of Armenia . en . 12 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220212004249/https://hetq.am/en/article/11834 . live .
  23. News: Петелин . Герман (Petelin, German) . Баринов . Владимир (Barinov, Vladimir) . Генпрокуратура не выдала Испании вора в законе Тюрика: Влиятельный "законник" Владимир Тюрин смог доказать, что является гражданином России. А на родине к нему нет претензий . The Prosecutor General's Office did not extradite thief in law Tyurik to Spain: Influential thief in law Vladimir Tyurin was able to prove that he is a citizen of Russia. And in his homeland there are no complaints about him . ru . Izvestia (iz.ru) . February 29, 2012 . September 9, 2024 . https://archive.today/20240909205130/https://iz.ru/news/516958 . September 9, 2024.
  24. News: Канев . Сергей (Kanev, Sergey) . 1423 А оказался, блин, уголовник: «Единая Россия» остается верна своему имиджу? . 1423 And it turned out, damn it, a criminal: Does United Russia remain true to its image? . ru . . October 12, 2011 . September 9, 2024 . http://web.archive.org/web/20111023223226/https://novayagazeta.ru/politics/48922.html . October 23, 2011.
  25. News: Канев . Сергей (Kanev, Sergey) . 2757 Мария Максакова. История любви: Ответ пресс-службе «Единой России» . 2757 Maria Maksakova. Love story: Response to the press service of United Russia . ru . . October 14, 2011 . September 9, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111023214752/https://novayagazeta.ru/politics/48953.html . October 23, 2011.

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