Prominent Russian anti-government activist Vladimir Kara-Murza said in court on Monday that he does not regret fighting the Vladimir Putin regime and opposing the war in Ukraine, but rather proud of it.
According to the Russian independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, Kara-Murza made the remarks at the final hearing of the decision trial held at the Moscow court that day.
Kara-Murza: “I am in prison because of my political views. Voices against the war in Ukraine, a year-long struggle against Putin’s dictatorship, and personal contributions to international sanctions against human rights offenders through the ‘Magnitsky Act’.”
“The judge said that ‘reflection’ was a mitigating factor. However, I am not only not regretting my actions at all, but (on the contrary) I am proud of it,” he said, “what we need to reflect on is the criminals who committed them.”
“I am proud to have been introduced into politics by Boris Nemtsov. “I admit all my charges,” he said. Nemtsov, a Russian opposition leader, was shot in 2015.
He added, “It’s the only thing I blame myself for. “Despite years of political activity, I have not fully convinced my compatriots and politicians from democratic countries what a threat the current (Putin) regime poses to Russia and the world,” he said. I have to pay,” he lamented.
He also added, “People generally claim innocence in closing arguments. It will be the only legitimate choice for those who have never committed a crime,” he said. “But I have nothing to ask of this court. I know what my verdict will be. I already knew a year ago when I saw people in black uniforms and black masks chasing my car. This is the price you pay for not being silent in Russia today.”
“But I know that the day will come when this darkness will be lifted in our country someday. When we finally call white white and black black and admit that ‘2 x 2 equals 4’, when war is called war and usurper called usurper, and those who start war, not those who try to stop it, are made criminals. When it is declared (that day will come), he emphasized, “As spring comes after the coldest winter, that day (coming) will be unavoidable.”
Lastly, “Even today, in this darkness that surrounds us, even in this cage, I love my country and believe in my people. I am confident that we will be able to go all the way down this road.”
Kara-Murza is an anti-government activist and journalist who sided with Nemtsov. He was oppressed by the regime and even threatened his life with poison in 2015 and 2017.
In April of last year, he was arrested and put on trial on charges of treason, spreading “fake news” about the Russian military, and activities of a “dangerous group” in Open Russia. Russian prosecutors sought 25 years in prison for him on the 6th. Sentence will be handed down on the 17th.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.