On Friday, Deutsche Welle in Bonn held a press conference attended by Russian oppositionists. The day before, they were freed from the Siberian colony as part of the historic exchange of prisoners between Russia and the Western countries.
Among them were, among others: Ilya Jaszynwho announced to journalists that he would continue his political fight for a free country. – My goal is to return to Russia. I am a Russian citizen, a Russian politician, a Russian patriot. My goal is a free and happy Russia – he repeated.
During the conference, Yashin also addressed Western countries, asking them to take decisive action to release other prisoners who, like him, criticized Russian aggression against Ukraine. – More than a thousand people are in prison because they opposed the war. They need amnesty, he explained.
Return after prisoner exchange. “We will all return to Russia”
The released oppositionist also declared his intention to return to Russia. Vladimir Kara-Murza. During the conference, he revealed that he was sure that he would “die in Putin's prison and never see his family again.”
– I feel like I'm in a movie. Yesterday I was still in custody, and today I'm on the beautiful banks of the Rhine in Bonn – said Murza. At the same time, he made it clear to journalists that intends to continue his opposition to Vladimir Putin.
During a press conference, Vladimir Kara-Murza spoke about a situation that took place shortly after the exchange. One of the employees of the Russian exchange told him that he “should look out the window, because it was the last time he saw his homeland.”
Kara-Murza replied that “the day will come when Russia will be free – a normal country, a civilized country, a European country.” – We will all return to Russia – assessed the oppositionist. He added that he had no doubts about it.
Freed Russian oppositionists declare they will return to their country
The conference was also attended by opposition activist and leader of the Open Russia organization Andrei Pivovarov. In a conversation with journalists, he emphasized that not all Russians are behind Putin's war against Ukraine.
– People in Russia should not be associated with the Russian regime – Pivovarov stressed. He added that sanctions should not be directed against Russian society, but against Putin's regime.
All three Russian oppositionists were sentenced to long prison terms because opposing Russian aggression against Ukraine.
However, the harshest punishment was given to Vladimir Kara-Murza, who appealed for the imposition of sanctions by European Union and the US on Russian politicians who commit human rights violations. In 2023, he was sentenced to 25 lat serving time in a penal colony.
Sources: Deutsche Welle, Interia