A week after his release through a prisoner exchange between Russia and several Western countries, Yashin met with his followers in the German capital to continue his campaign against the invasion of Ukraine.
More than two thousand people came to meet the Russian opposition activist up close. In 2022 he was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison for criticizing and opposing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Now already released in Berlinmaintains the campaign against war.
Yaschin explained: “I can only say one thing: the Russian opposition should get involved in the anti war education. And when Western officials ask me how they can help the Russian opposition, I tell them: Ukraine, please. Save the country from Putin and continue supporting Ukraine; because if they save Ukraine, they will help a free Russia.”
An asset for the Russian opposition
Yashin collaborated with the opposition leader Alexei Navalnywho died imprisoned in Siberia in February. Some Russian opponents wonder whether Yashin could become the new leader of the Russian opposition.
One of the attendees at the rally in Berlin explained: “The character of Alexeitheir way of being, and in general their energy and, in general, they are one of those of one in a billionbut I think Ilya has potential, energy and a political position that will allow him to become an important, prominent and highly prestigious Russian politician in the future.
Fear of increased repression
During his stay in prison, Yaschin received more than 30,000 letters and encouraged his followers to write to opposition politicians still imprisoned in Russia.
Russian opposition activist Ilya Yashin has expressed gratitude in Berlin for his release from Russian prison. He human rights center Memorial counts more than a thousand political prisoners in Russia. There are fears that there will be new arrests. For this reason, the German Federal Minister of Justice, Marco Buschmannhas issued an urgent warning against travel to Russia.
Additional sources • Enrique Barrueco (Voice-over)
