Russians speaking out against power-mad Vladimir Putin deserve huge respect – Steve Cardownie

The jailing in Russia of Vladimir Kara-Murza, the Russian-British former journalist and politician, is yet another example of the lengths the Kremlin will go to quell internal opposition to its illegal invasion of Ukraine.
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Sentenced to 25 years in prison, Kara-Murza was determined not to be silenced, stating that he stood by “every word that I have said, not only do I not repent any of this, I am proud of it”. He incurred the wrath of the Russian authorities when he made a speech to US politicians in which he said that Russia was committing war crimes in Ukraine by using cluster bombs in residential areas and “bombing maternity hospitals and schools”.

Based on his criticism of the war, he was found guilty of treason, spreading “false” information about the Russian army, and being affiliated to an “undesirable organisation”. In remarks he posted online, he doubled down on his condemnation of Putin’s war saying, “I know that the day will come when the darkness engulfing our country will clear. Our society will open its eyes and shudder when it realises what crimes were committed in its name".

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He allegedly survived two attempts by the Russian authorities to poison him, prompting Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is currently serving a nine-year jail term, to say that Kara-Murza’s sentence was the Kremlin’s “revenge” for their failed efforts to kill him.

Addressing the court during its closing session, Kara-Murza said, “for a person who has not committed any crimes, acquittal would be the only fair verdict”. He then went on to say: “But I do not ask this court for anything. I know the verdict. I knew it a year ago when I saw people in black uniforms and black masks running after my car in the rear-view mirror. Such is the price for speaking up in Russia today.”

Navalny is also no stranger to the perils of opposition. He nearly died in 2020 when he was exposed to the nerve agent, Novichok, in Siberia, which he blamed on the Kremlin. He only survived after his associates flew him to Berlin where he recovered, before return to Russia where he was immediately detained.

Navalny has committed himself to exposing corruption in Russia, for which he has paid a heavy price. He has been a thorn in Putin’s side for some time and has grim experience of Putin’s determination to silence his critics both at home and abroad.

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Another prominent jailed dissident, Ilya Yashin, was able to respond to questions sent by The Guardian newspaper. Writing from his prison cell, he said of Putin, “This man has gone mad from unlimited power and impunity; he has become a slave to his maniacal ambitions.” Yashin was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison for a YouTube broadcast in which he accused the Russian army of a massacre of civilians in Bucha, Ukraine.

Russian opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza stands in a class cage at the Moscow City Court, where he was given a 25-year prison sentence (Picture: Moscow City Court via AP)Russian opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza stands in a class cage at the Moscow City Court, where he was given a 25-year prison sentence (Picture: Moscow City Court via AP)
Russian opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza stands in a class cage at the Moscow City Court, where he was given a 25-year prison sentence (Picture: Moscow City Court via AP)

Russian prisons detain numerous opposition figures who have dared to criticise Putin and his regime’s blatant corruption but still they, and others, continue to speak out, despite the likely consequences. They deserve our respect and admiration!

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