"It was like sexpionage"
Russian journalists have exposed a woman who allegedly faked being a lawyer and lied about her human rights work to gain access to sensitive information. The "fake biography" began in Murmansk.
Creating identity
33-year-old Maria Chashilova (Мария Чащилова) is a well-known figure among Russian journalists, human rights activists and lawyers. Her Facebook page is full of photos with them, and posts about her trips around Europe, opposition-related events, and activism.
"For many years she worked in various human rights organisations, where, according to her, she was involved in rescuing gays from Chechnya, helping victims of political repression, investigating cases of sexual violence in Ukraine and leading other dangerous cases," the news website “Important Stories” (“Vazhnyy Istorii”) points out. But as the journalists highlight, Chashilova faked most of it to get access to information about people being prosecuted by the Russian authorities.
Chashilova has been recently representing OVD Info - an independent media and human rights defense group focused on monitoring and combating repressions in Russia. Her connection to activism began in 2016, when she moved to the Russian Arctic capital of Murmansk and began a relationship with a prominent local LGBTQ activist:
"It is hard for me to realise that it was actually through me that she entered the human rights community, for which I feel very guilty. It's very hard to realise that I slept in the same bed with a person who is under suspicion. ... We lived together for two years, and all those years we were inside [the community]. It's like sexpionage..." Varvara, who asked that her real name not be published, admitted in an interview for 'Important Stories'.
Exposing lies
According to journalists, suspicions that Chashilova was not who she claimed to be began to grow when she kept on approaching reporters asking for details of sensitive investigations.
The many stories about her trips to Chechnya or Ukraine, which she spoke about, have not been confirmed either by witnesses or by documents. "Important Stories" spoke to several journalists, activists, and lawyers who said that she showered them with expensive gifts and treats. The high school diplomas she presented turned out to be fake, and she never had a lawyer's license.
Several other inconsistencies in her biography have been discovered, and people close to Chashilova describe her as a "liar".
The investigation doesn't specify what exactly the aim of the false identity presented by Chashilova could be and probably more thorough investigations follow.
But in the context of other recent cases, it looks like access to the inner circles of the Russian opposition, activism, and journalism in exile could be of a particular focus. In recent years, for example, Chashilova has been active in Riga, Latvia - a base for dozens of Russian journalists in exile following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Several other cases of fraud
Chashilova is one of several figures close to the Russian opposition and journalists who have been accused of lying.
A freelance journalist under the pseudonym Asiya Nesoevaya was suspected of falsifying reports, including those about Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Novaya Gazeta Europe reported.
Pablo González, who presented himself as a Spanish freelance journalist and had close relationships with Russian journalists and activists, turned out to be an agent of the Russian military intelligence (GRU), according to the Polish investigation.
Russian Woman Nomma Zarubina was recently arrested in U.S. for alleged ties to Russian intelligence. Zarubina was actively targeting Russian opposition in exile and her Facebook page is bursting with selfies she did with Aleksei Navalny’s team.
“We believe it is important to make public the facts that we learned during the investigation, - “Important Stories” writes. “For more than six years, Chashchilova worked in Russian human rights organizations, where she gained access to information that poses a threat to people persecuted by the Russian authorities: those who anonymously work in “undesirable” organizations, lawyers defending Russian political prisoners and Ukrainian prisoners of war, LGBT activists declared extremists in Russia.”
