For decades, Moscow has sought to silence its critics abroad

By EMMA BURROWS
Associated Press

From its earliest days, the Soviet Union’s intelligence services — whether known as the Cheka or the names of any of its successor agencies like the KGB — kept the government in power by pursuing its opponents no matter where they lived. The Cheka secret police, founded by Felix Dzherzhinsky, often used assassins to hunt down enemies of the Bolshevik Revolution. Intelligence experts say that policy is still followed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who does not disguise his scorn for perceived traitors, defectors and other political enemies, although the Kremlin has either denied involvement or refused to respond to allegations about such attacks.