#magnitsky’s

[deborahdeshoftim5779]

Navalny is not the first opponent to fall victim to Putin’s increasingly bloody regime and he won’t be the last. The roll call is long and growing — Sergei Magnitsky, Boris Nemzov, Denis Voronenkov, Stanislav Markelov, Anastasia Baburova, Anna Politkovskaya, and those whose end was uncertain, like Boris Berezovsky. The names of all those who have fallen from windows or decided to end their life in mysterious circumstances are much, much longer.

Elena Davlikanova, responding to Putin's murder of Navalny.

[dougielombax]

Hopefully something comes from this.

Feel free to reblog.

[famousharmonyluminary]

Czerwony alert

Czerwony alert to tytuł książki Billa Browdera. W Polsce wydana siedem lat temu. okładka audiobooka, wydawca Sonia Draga, wydanie drugie 2021 Autentyczna historia. Listopad 2009. Wyniszczony torturami młody prawnik, Siergiej Magnitski, przebywa w moskiewskim więzieniu. W połowie listopada Magnitskiego przeniesiono do celi odosobnienia, przykuto do łóżka, a ośmiu strażników więziennych…

[anthonymhowellblog]

WHY YOU ALL LOATH RUSSIA

The South African Information Scandal Putin’s ejection of the oligarchs The takeover of the Guardian The Magnitsky Act If you try to discover anything about recent Russian history online, you will only come across articles that project an uncompromising loathing of Russia and its President Vladimir Putin. The only books that get reviewed about Russia are those such as Putin’s People: How the…

[andrasthehun]

The Book "Red Notice" by Bill Browder, Brought up Memories

January 28, 2024 Published in 2015, Red Notice is a memoir spanning the period of Russia’s privatization of state assets during President Yeltsin’s time (1991 to 1999) and the rise of the oligarchs during President Putin’s time (from 2000). Browder noticed business opportunities spawned by privatization and took advantage of them but then ran afoul of the Russian political system, and the…

[lejournaldupeintre]

12 years ago : The Magnitsky Case

Magnitsky was a Moscow lawyer who uncovered the largest tax fraud in Russian history. He was detained without trial, tortured and consequently died in a Moscow prison on November 16, 2009; No thorough, independent and objective investigation has been conducted by Russian authorities into the detention, torture and death of Sergei Magnitsky, nor have the individuals responsible been brought to…

[immaculatasknight]

Empire of lies

[un-ionizetheradlab]

Russia just freed SIXTEEN political prisoners in a prisoner swap with the West!

Among the released political prisoners are:

Oleg Orlov, a longtime dissident and the co-chair of Memorial, an organization created in 1989 to chronicle the USSR's human rights abuses and educate Russians about the history of political repression;

Sasha Skochilenko, an LGBTQ artist who was imprisoned in April 2022 for replacing price tags at grocery stores with data about Russian destruction in Ukraine, deemed treasonous under Russia's "fake news" law;

Vladimir Kara-Murza, a political dissident who was fundamental in bringing about the Magnitsky Act to sanction Russian human rights abusers, and who was poisoned twice by the KGB in attempted assassinations before being sentenced to 25 years in prison for "treason";

Evan Gershkovich, a young American journalist who was arrested in Russia while reporting for the Wall Streeet Journal in March 2023 and sentenced to 16 years in prison for "espionage";

Paul Whelan, American former Marine who was arrested in 2018 and sentenced to 16 years of hard labor for "espionage";

Alsu Kurmasheva, a Russian-American journalist with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty who was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison for spreading "fake news" about the war in Ukraine;

Andrei Pivovarov, an opposition activist who headed the pro-democracy organization Open Russia before being imprisoned in a Siberian penal colony infamous for its torture of prisoners;

Ilya Yashin, a young opposition politician who was sentenced to 8.5 years in prison for publishing YouTube videos about the war in Ukraine; when Russian authorities "encouraged" him to leave the country, he chose instead to stay;

Lilia Chanysheva, opposition activist and regional coordinator of Navalny HQ; in her final speech before the Russian court, she tried in vain to appeal to the judge's sense of empathy: "If you put me in jail for 12 years, I will be too old to bear a child. Give me a chance to be a mother!";

Kevin Lik, a dual German-Russian citizen who was arrested as a minor for "photographing military sites" shortly before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine; he was the youngest person ever to be convicted of treason in Russia;

Rico Krieger, a German man sentenced to death in Belarus for supposedly planting explosives on a railroad track to help the Ukrainian army;

Dieter Voronin, a dual German-Russian citizen and political scientist who was arrested in 2021 in connection to a treason case involving Russian journalist Ivan Safronov;

Patrick Schobel, a German man arrested in February 2024 at the Pulkovo International Airport in St Petersburg when customs officers found cannabis gummies in his luggage, in a scenario very similar to that of Brittney Griner;

German Moyzhes, a dual German-Russian citizen and lawyer who was charged with treason for helping Russians obtain European residency permits;

Vadim Ostanin, opposition activist and Navalny associate arrested in 2021 for his work with Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation;

Ksenia Fadeyeva, dissident and Navalny associate sentenced to 9 years in prison.

[odinsblog]

For over two decades, President Vladimir Putin has squeezed dissent in Russia. Critics, journalists, and defectors have faced dire consequences after opposing him. From poisonings to shootings, mysterious falls from windows, and even plane crashes, there is a long trail of silenced voices.

Alexei Navalny, whose death in prison is as yet unexplained, had previously fallen ill on a flight from Siberia to Moscow in 2020 after being poisoned with Novichok, a nerve agent. Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian spy who defected and was a prominent Putin critic, was murdered with polonium-210 in London in 2016.

Other deaths of opposition figures under Putin's rule also appear to follow a pattern. Boris Nemtsov, shot dead near the Kremlin, and Stanislav Markelov, assassinated in Moscow alongside journalist Anastasia Baburova, are just two examples. Natalia Estemirova, abducted and found dead in Chechnya, and Anna Politkovskaya, an investigative journalist murdered in her Moscow apartment building, also paid the ultimate price following their dissent.

Here are 10 prominent Putin critics who have died in assassinations or mysterious circumstances.

Alexei Navalny

Date of death: February 16, 2024

Cause of Death: Alexei Navalny died in prison. The Russian prison service reported that he felt unwell after a walk and lost consciousness.

Biography: Alexei Navalny was a prominent critic of Vladimir Putin. He gained global attention in 2020 when he survived a poisoning with the nerve agent Novichok. Navalny willingly returned to Russia from Germany in 2021, where he had received treatment for the previous poisoning. Upon his return, he was promptly arrested. Navalny was known for exposing corruption, investigating Putin's inner circle, and leading anti-Kremlin opposition movements. His death is likely to be seen by fellow opposition members as a political assassination attributable to Putin, but is as yet unexplained.

Mikhail Lesin

Age: 57

Date of Death: November 5, 2015

Cause of Death: Mikhail Lesin was a former Russian press minister and media executive. He fell out of favor with Putin and faced scrutiny for his wealth. Lesin was found dead in a Washington, D.C. hotel room. The official cause of death was ruled as accidental blunt force injuries, but questions persist about the circumstances.

Boris Nemtsov

Age: 55

Date of Death: February 27, 2015

Cause of Death: Boris Nemtsov was shot dead on a bridge near the Kremlin. His murder remains unsolved, but many believe it was politically motivated. Nemtsov was a vocal critic of Putin's government, advocating for democracy, human rights, and transparency. He served as a deputy prime minister under President Boris Yeltsin and later became a prominent opposition figure.

Boris Berezovsky

Age: 67

Date of Death: March 23, 2013

Cause of Death: Boris Berezovsky was a wealthy businessman, oligarch, and former ally of Putin. However, he became a vocal critic and fled to the U.K. Berezovsky was found dead in his home in Berkshire, England. The official cause of death was ruled as suicide, but suspicions remain due to his high-profile opposition activities.

Sergei Magnitsky

Age: 37

Date of Death: November 16, 2009

Cause of Death: Sergei Magnitsky was a lawyer and auditor who exposed a massive tax fraud scheme involving Russian officials. He was arrested, imprisoned, and denied medical treatment. Magnitsky died in custody following severe beatings and medical neglect. His death led to the passing of the Magnitsky Act in the United States, which sanctions Russian officials involved in human rights abuses and corruption.

Stanislav Markelov

Age: 34

Date of Death: January 19, 2009

Cause of Death: Stanislav Markelov was a human rights lawyer and journalist. He was assassinated in Moscow by a gunman who also killed journalist Anastasia Baburova. Markelov had represented victims of human rights abuses and criticized the Russian government's actions in Chechnya. His death raised concerns about the safety of those opposing the regime.

Anastasia Baburova

Age: 25

Date of Death: January 19, 2009

Cause of Death: Anastasia Baburova, a journalist and activist, was shot dead alongside human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov in Moscow. She had reported on neo-Nazi groups and political violence. Her murder remains unsolved, but it is believed to be connected to her activism.

Natalia Estemirova

Age: 50

Date of Death: July 15, 2009

Cause of Death: Natalia Estemirova, a human rights activist and journalist, was abducted in Grozny, Chechnya, and found dead later that day. She had documented human rights violations in Chechnya and criticized the government. Her murder remains unsolved, but it is widely believed to be connected to her activism and criticism of the Chechen authorities.

Anna Politkovskaya

Age: 48

Date of Death: October 7, 2006

Cause of Death: Anna Politkovskaya, an investigative journalist, was shot dead in her apartment building in Moscow. She had reported extensively on human rights abuses, corruption, and the war in Chechnya. Her work was critical of Putin's government, and her murder sparked international outrage. Despite investigations, the masterminds behind her killing have not been brought to justice.

Yuri Shchekochikhin

Age: 53

Date of Death: July 3, 2003

Cause of Death: Yuri Shchekochikhin was a journalist, writer, and member of the Russian State Duma. He investigated corruption, organized crime, and human rights abuses. Shchekochikhin suddenly fell ill and died from an unknown cause. Some suspect poisoning, but the circumstances remain unclear.

(continue reading)

List of journalists killed in Russia

The dangers to journalists in Russia have been known since the early 1990s but concern over the number of unsolved killings soared after Anna Politkovskaya's murder in Moscow on 7 October 2006. While international monitors mentioned a dozen deaths, some sources within Russia talked of over two hundred fatalities.

2009 reports on deaths of journalists in Russia: In June 2009, a wide-ranging investigation by the International Federation of Journalists into the deaths of journalists in Russia was published. At the same time, the IFJ launched an online database which documents over three hundred deaths and disappearances since 1993.

(continue reading)

[aurevoirmonty]

« Heureuse serait la Russie si on pouvait la protéger de l’Europe […]. »

Mikhaïl Magnitski, Projet de censure (1820)

[herukapadmajungiansworld]

Switzerland has for years been the destination of choice for Russian oligarchs and corrupt officials to hide their stolen money. Swiss banks are estimated to hold over $200 billion in stashed Russian cash.

The United States recently opened an investigation into Swiss banks helping #Russia to evade sanctions, subpoenaing the two largest Swiss banks at the time. Switzerland is also key to Russian #evasion of export controls meant to ensure Russia cannot resupply its military and continue its war.

Russian-induced corruption within the Swiss law enforcement system led to the resignation of the former top prosecutor of Switzerland and the conviction of a senior Swiss law enforcement official on bribery charges. Switzerland is now primed to send millions in frozen Russian dirty money related to the revelations of Sergei Magnitsky to the Russians who stole it.

This hearing will examine Switzerland’s key role in laundering Russian money. Witnesses will discuss how Switzerland came to be a favorite destination for Russian dirty money, how Russian corruption in Switzerland endangers U.S. national security and the ability of Ukraine to defend itself, and possible policy responses. This hearing builds on years of work by the #Commission to hold Switzerland to account for its role in Russian money laundering and corruption.

The following witnesses are scheduled to testify:

1Bill Browder, Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign

2Drew Sullivan, Co-Founder, Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP)

3Olena Tregub, Secretary General, Independent Defense Anti-Corruption Committee (NAKO)

HEARING

Russia’s Alpine Assets: Money Laundering and Sanctions Evasion in Switzerland

July 18, 2023

1:00 p.m.

Senate Dirksen Building G50

Live stream:

youtube.com/watch?v=dxX98X…

[deborahdeshoftim5779]

On February 27, 2015, Boris Yefimovich Nemtsov, pictured above with his daughter, Zhanna Nemtsova, was gunned down in Moscow, right front of the Kremlin. Although the Russian government prosecuted Chechens for the killing of Nemtsov, they never identified the person that ordered the murder, nor did they release the full tape of Nemtsov's death during the trial.

Nemtsov was known and admired inside and outside of Russia for fearlessly challenging Putin's dictatorship. He wrote reports on government corruption which, as Russia scholar Dr. Knight wrote in Orders to Kill, caused enormous panic.

He challenged Putin's fraudulent "election" results, exposing how millions of votes were stolen. He encouraged the United States to sign the Magnitsky Sanctions into law in 2012, punishing the murderers of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky and other corrupt henchmen.

He condemned Putin's illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. He exposed how, despite Putin loudly claiming the opposite, Russia was continually sending mercenaries into eastern Ukraine to stir up provocations.

It was this last damning investigation that undoubtedly contributed to Nemtsov's murder. Shortly after he was killed, FSB agents raided his property and removed his computer. His girlfriend was unlawfully detained by FSB agents, as she was the only witness to the murder. The security cameras that are usually always on were switched off for the time it took to accost Nemtsov and shoot him four more times.

As is always the case with the Russian terrorist regime of Vladimir Putin, the authorities further denigrated Nemtsov's dignity by spreading alternative theories for Nemtsov's death. One of these was that Islamic terrorists had murdered Nemtsov in revenge for Nemtsov condemning the Charlie Hebdo massacre of January 2015. The fact that such a claim was obviously implausible didn't matter: all that mattered was convincing the average Russian that nobody could tell the cause.

I won't go into the details about the Chechens who were prosecuted and imprisoned for Nemtsov's death. The Russian legal system is the crucible of criminality in that country. Nothing that Russian lawyers, judges, or government investigators say can be trusted if they are adjudicating a politically sensitive case. Every Russian knows that their legal system waits for "a call from upstairs" to decide the outcome of politically sensitive cases.

As far as I am concerned, the true culprits of Nemtsov's murder are Russia's own security services. This is what Russia scholar David Satter established in his own article. In it, he exposed damning details from the only available tapes of Nemtsov's death, the fact that one of the killers appeared to be speaking to an FSB agent named Gennady Kornienko, the fact that those seen walking ahead of Nemtsov on the Bolshoi Moskvoretsky bridge quickly jumped onto a platform to avoid being shot, and how the lawyer Zaurbek Sadakhanov requested an interrogation of Putin in the Novaya Gazeta newspaper, and one of the responses was a vicious beating by unknown men. Sadakhanov subsequently fled Russia for his own safety.

Most importantly, Satter exposes key evidence that Putin had planned the murder of Nemtsov three years in advance.

All of this information will therefore sound shockingly familiar, following the Kremlin's murder of Nemtsov's political ally, Alexei Anatolyevich Navalny, on the 16th of February 2024. When Nemtsov was murdered, Navalny had been sent to prison on politically motivated charges. He was forbidden from attending Nemtsov's funeral, but later attended a memorial march for the fallen Russian politician.

We now know that Russia's federal security services planned their August 2020 poisoning of Navalny as far back as 2017, when they began following him intensively. The same three year time gap. Like Nemstov, Navalny had discussed the possibility of being murdered by the Kremlin, even after he recovered from what turned out to be a Novichok poisoning. Nemtsov's ally, Vladimir Kara-Murza, was to mysteriously fall ill and almost die on two occasions, in March 2015 and in 2017, with many of the same FSB agents assigned to Navalny also following Kara-Murza.

Following the August 2020 poisoning, the Kremlin again circulated alternative theories. Russian propagandist Vladimir Solovyev loudly discussed the lithium tablets that Navalny took, when there is no evidence that such tablets cause this reaction. Even more insultingly, Russian authorities suggested that Navalny might have cooked the Novichok and eaten it himself.

We can reach several conclusions from this information.

First, that Russia has an active state program dedicated to the murder of its own citizens. This includes the FSB, the military intelligence agency (GRU), and is covered up by Russia's Investigative Committee, federal judges, lawyers, and the prison system. This program undoubtedly costs millions, if not billions of roubles.

Second, that the Russian government plans in advance who is to be murdered. Such targets may experience scare tactics such as assaults, burglaries, or kidnapping in advance, before Russian agents receive a direct order to kill.

Third, the Russian government knows full well that many will blame Putin for the killings. In order to maintain confusion, it acts even pre-emptively to circulate alternative theories about the killing. Such are directed at Putin's followers and apathetic Russians. But those connected to the murder victim understand that this is a warning.

Fourth, the Russian government conspires to frustrate any independent investigation by fabricating a legal progress to investigate its own murders. This is again designed to cause confusion by suggesting that if Putin had committed the killings, he wouldn't want to be involved in the investigation. In fact, such investigations are not designed for identifying the real culprits, but for fabricating a case against culprits that the government has already shown. More importantly, the investigation helps the government murderers hide their tracks. Hence why, in Satter's article above, one of the Chechens recanted his testimony, saying it had been given under torture.

Fifth, the Russian government uses campaigns of threats and violence against anyone who doesn't accept the official narrative and digs deeper. These include random assaults, burglaries, and stalking.

Sixth, Russian propagandists on RT, Channel One, and NTB are fully aware that the Russian government is responsible for these murders. Their job is to confuse the public with alternative theories. In return, they receive high salaries, luxury houses, and extended airtime.

It should be clear by now that Russia under Vladimir Putin is a terrorist state. Each and every one of these murders is an act of domestic terrorism, to silence dissent, punish "traitors", and demoralise and fragment the remaining opposition.

It should also be clear by now that Putin has no political legitimacy whatsoever. To call him "president", when he acts to systematically eliminate his opposition, is to render the word meaningless. Putin has never won any democratic challenge without criminality, and his rise to power was entirely predicated on frustrating investigation into his predecessor's corruption.

Many outside Russia do not realise that Boris Nemtsov was on the rise under Yeltsin's administration. He was incredibly popular with his constituency, and known for being courteous under pressure. In a debate with the Russian demagogue and bigot, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Nemtsov remained calm, while Zhirinovsky got so worked up that he threw a glass of liquid over Nemtsov.

By all rights, Nemtsov deserved to become Russia's Prime Minister and maybe even president; in his book, he recalled his secretary telling him that she had spoken with a Vladimir Putin. Like many Russians in the late 1990's, the woman had no idea who Putin was.

Nemtsov would be relegated to the opposition, working as the head of the Yabloko Party. His collaboration with Alexei Navalny seems to have begun in the 2010s.

Nemtsov outlived several Russians who died in violent and mysterious ways. In November 1998, he was profoundly shocked when Russian liberal politician, Galina Starovoitova, was assassinated in St Petersburg outside her apartment. She had been followed home by an FSB agent on the night of her murder. The sole witness was visited repeatedly by Vladimir Putin while in hospital. Nemtsov called Starovoitova one of the most intelligent politicians in the Russian politics.

When renowned Novaya Gazeta journalist, Anna Politkovskaya, was murdered in October 2006, Nemtsov later called for a memorial to be erected in her honour.

It was clear to Nemtsov that he lived a dangerous life. David Satter notes that Nemtsov was warned about the possibility of assassination while in Oslo in 2012. His mother also warned him, and Nemtsov discussed his own and his mother's respective during a magazine interview. The late American Senator John McCain, again warned Nemtsov when the Russian was in the USA to campaign for sanctions against the murderers of Sergei Magnitsky and those upholding Putin's dictatorship. Nemtsov refused to stay away from Russia, saying he was fighting for his country.

Nemtsov's immense bravery and firm belief in personal freedom and the rule of law cost him his life. Putin simply could not stand to have such a threat to the terrorist state he had built since 1999. For a while, he tolerated Nemtsov as opposition, until Nemtsov became more and more emboldened, especially by lobbying for Magnitsky Sanctions with the American-British financier, Bill Browder, in 2012. These represented a direct threat to Putin's finances, without which he could not consolidate his dictatorship. It's no coincidence in my view that Satter traces plans to murder Nemtsov back to that same 2012.

Are we to stand by and continue to watch this terrorist, Vladimir Putin, murder his opposition again and again? It's time for Russia to face unprecedented pressure in response to the murder of Alexei Navalny this month. Russia must face interrogation at international criminal courts. The international arrest warrant on Putin must be expanded, and be kept permanent.

There must be no welcome back for Russia after the war in Ukraine ends if Putin and his terrorist state are still in power. Foreign countries must publicise all of the political murders Putin has committed, backed with damning evidence the Kremlin cannot deny. All Russians involved in these murders must face sanctions, including asset confiscation. They must never be allowed to set foot in Western nations.

Widespread acknowledgement that Putin is a terrorist will isolate the Kremlin and make the dictator lose face internationally. This will make it harder for Putin to command any respect in Russia.

Nemtsov said that it took a long time for change to come to Russia, and wanted that change to come peacefully. Foreign nations cannot force regime change in Russia, nor should they attempt this. But foreign nations should not provide any legitimacy for Russia's terrorist regime, nor harbour agents of that terrorist regime in their own countries. This is why Nemtsov fought for the United States to apply financial sanctions on Russian criminals.

We have a duty to continue Nemtsov's work and hold this government of terrorists accountable.

Вечная память Борису Ефимовичу!

[importantwomensbirthdays]

Rebecca Vincent

Human rights activist Rebecca Vincent was born in 1983. Vincent is the Director of International Campaigns at Reporters Without Borders, an organization that defends and promotes freedom of the press throughout the world. She is a former diplomat who has organized several high-profile international human rights campaigns. Much of Vincent's previous work has focused on Azerbaijan. She was expelled from Azerbaijan for her human rights work, but continued championing reform in the country from abroad. In addition to her work at Reporters Without Borders, Vincent is also on the committee for the Magnitsky Human Rights Awards.

[winterswake]

Artyom Borovik, Anna Politkovskaya, Sergei Magnitsky, Alexander Litvinenko, Boris Nemtsov, Alexei Navalny

[andrasthehun]

The Book "Red Notice" by Bill Browder Brought up Memories

January 28, 2024 Published in 2015, Red Notice is a memoir spanning the period of Russia’s privatization of state assets during President Yeltsin’s time (1991 to 1999) and the rise of the oligarchs during President Putin’s time (from 2000). Browder noticed business opportunities spawned by privatization and took advantage of them but then ran afoul of the Russian political system, and the…

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Vladimir Kara-Murza delivered these remarks on Monday at the closing session of his trial in Moscow: 

Members of the court: I was sure, after two decades spent in Russian politics, after all that I have seen and experienced, that nothing can surprise me anymore. I must admit that I was wrong. I’ve been surprised by the extent to which my trial, in its secrecy and its contempt for legal norms, has surpassed even the “trials” of Soviet dissidents in the 1960s and ’70s. And that’s not even to mention the harshness of the sentence requested by the prosecution or the talk of “enemies of the state.” In this respect, we’ve gone beyond the 1970s — all the way back to the 1930s. For me, as a historian, this is an occasion for reflection.

At one point during my testimony, the presiding judge reminded me that one of the extenuating circumstances was “remorse for what [the accused] has done.” And although there is little that’s amusing about my present situation, I could not help smiling: The criminal, of course, must repent of his deeds. I’m in jail for my political views. For speaking out against the war in Ukraine. For many years of struggle against Vladimir Putin’s dictatorship. For facilitating the adoption of personal international sanctions under the Magnitsky Act against human rights violators.

Not only do I not repent of any of this, I am proud of it. I am proud that Boris Nemtsov brought me into politics. And I hope that he is not ashamed of me. I subscribe to every word that I have spoken and every word of which I have been accused by this court. I blame myself for only one thing: that over the years of my political activity I have not managed to convince enough of my compatriots and enough politicians in the democratic countries of the danger that the current regime in the Kremlin poses for Russia and for the world. Today this is obvious to everyone, but at a terrible price — the price of war.

In their last statements to the court, defendants usually ask for an acquittal. For a person who has not committed any crimes, acquittal would be the only fair verdict. 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 rearview mirror. But I also know that the day will come when the darkness over our country will dissipate. When black will be called black and white will be called white; when at the official level it will be recognized that two times two is still four; when a war will be called a war, and a usurper a usurper; and when those who kindled and unleashed this war, rather than those who tried to stop it, will be recognized as criminals. This day will come as inevitably as spring follows even the coldest winter. And then our society will open its eyes and be horrified by what terrible crimes were committed on its behalf. 

From this realization, from this reflection, the long, difficult but vital path toward the recovery and restoration of Russia, its return to the community of civilized countries, will begin.Even today, even in the darkness surrounding us, even sitting in this cage, I love my country and believe in our people. I believe that we can walk this path.

[Opinion:: Vladimir Kara-Murza’s last statement to Russian court: A reckoning will come  ::: WAPO]