‘Proof that today’s Russia is returning to the practices of Stalin’s political terror’

The prosecutor has requested 25 years in prison for politician Vladimir Kara-Murza, who is in jail on a range of unfounded charges. Vladimir Kara-Murza is a true Russian patriot and he has been against Russia’s aggression from the first days of the war that brings endless disasters to the Ukrainian people and claims the lives of Russian military and mobilised citizens. But today in Russia, advocating for peace and the end of the war is a criminal offence. However, in addition to this unlawful and shameful accusation, Kara-Murza was charged with another one, treason. His betrayal was, as the prosecutor insists, speaking at international forums condemning the war and the persecution of dissidents in Putin’s Russia. The prosecutor considers these words and opinions to be deserving of the same sentence as murder with many aggravating circumstances. Today, Kara-Murza is in a pre-trial detention centre and is waiting for a monstrous sentence, de-facto a life sentence, for speaking out against the war. Vladimir Kara-Murza survived two assassination attempts in a short time; he suffered attempted poisoning twice. These attempts, fortunately, failed, but dealt a serious blow to his health. Despite the fact that even prison doctors are sounding the alarm because of how serious his diagnosis is (polyneuropathy, which means potential legs paralysis), the judge considers it possible to keep Kara-Murza in a pre-trial detention centre, where full-fledged treatment is not available. At the same time, Vladimir’s diagnosis is included in the list of diseases that prevent him from serving his sentence. We believe that all charges against Vladimir Kara-Murza are politically motivated, and charges of treason are especially cynical. It was Kara-Murza who ensured that the politicians of Western countries realised that it was not “the whole country” that was to blame for the repressive actions and aggressive foreign policy of the Russian state, but specific people. We find it evident that these completely unfounded accusations and the requested sentence is proof that today’s Russia is returning to the practices of Stalin’s political terror. Terror against dissent and its own people cost Russia hundreds of thousands of lives in the last century. This terror began with show trials of political opponents and dissidents, and ended with mass executions and imprisonment of ordinary citizens, including those who welcomed the early show trials and were involved in organising those. We demand that Russian authorities, law enforcement officers, and judges get back on the track of justice. They must exercise their justice against murderers and other criminals, and not honest and responsible citizens who dare speak the truth. This is required to stop Russia from sloping down to Stalinism and totalitarian regime. Freedom to Vladimir Kara-Murza!