> They have only one enemy, the Russian government.

Do you think layman thinks the friend is the person who punishes them without them doing anything wrong? I find that seriously difficult to believe.

Think about it yourself. You go to a nightclub and then the doorman says only you're not allowed, because your friends who just went in said you're not wanted. Do you still consider them as your friends and just think it's for your best?

That's a very odd logic there.