The journalist Vladimir Kara-Murzathe critic of the war in Ukraine Ilya Yashin and Open Russia founder Andrei Pivovarov are three of the most prominent Russian dissidents to be released as part of a prisoner swap deal between the West and Russia that was completed without surprise on Friday morning. Some are talking about a historic agreement. In any case, it was the largest of its kind since the end of the Cold War.

On Friday afternoon, the three dissidents held a press conference in the packed Deutsche Welle event hall in Bonn, with journalists and TV crews from across Europe swarming the venue early. The debate was moderated by Leonid Volkov from the “Anti-Corruption Foundation” founded in 2011 by Alexei Navalny. “The release of these people is a drop in the ocean,” said Ilya Yashin, who in 2022 was sentenced to 8 years in prison for calling the war in Ukraine “monstrous.” He realizes that the West found itself in a “difficult dilemma” before agreeing to the deal with Moscow and even estimates that this deal “encourages Putin to hold even more hostages in the future.” However, he points out, “this is something Putin would do anyway, whether Western governments decide to save these people, or whether they decide to ignore them.”

Answering the question with which travel documents he traveled with and whether he now has a German identity card, Ilia Yassin says that “where there is political will, legal or bureaucratic obstacles can be overcome. I no longer have a passport or ID because when I was arrested in Russia they took my ID. Therefore” concludes Yasin with a touch of self-deprecation, “if you want to see who I am you will have to look me up on the Internet”.

“I’ll be back, sooner than they think”

Vladimir Kara-Murza meaningfully states that “as a Russian writer used to say, in Russia it is impossible to arrest you under the law, but it is also impossible to release you under the law.” Kara-Murza’s story is impressive: He survived two poisoning attempts in 2015 and 2017, but which caused permanent damage to his nervous system. His wife and children fled to the US after the first murderous attack against him. In 2022 he was arrested for criticizing the war in Ukraine and sentenced to 25 years in prison in Siberia for “high treason” and “spreading false news”.

On Friday, Kara-Murza answered the question of a journalist from the German ZDF network if he was forced to sign a statement of repentance or a request for a pardon from President Putin. “In July, they suddenly took me out of my cell, left me paper and pencil, as well as a prepared statement addressed to Putin, in which I would say that I regret what happened,” he said. “I told them that I am not going to sign it, because I consider Putin a dictator and a murderer. Plus, I don’t feel guilty about anything. On July 25 they came again with paper and pencil, they asked me why I said all these bad things about the president and I told them that I prefer to be honest. They finally came back at 3am last Saturday and told me I have 20 minutes to pack up…”

Kara-Murza was one of 13 prisoners (among them 5 German nationals) who arrived early Friday morning at Cologne airport, via Turkey. German media believe that Turkey had played a key role in the contacts with the Kremlin that led to the conclusion of the agreement on the exchange of prisoners.

Speaking to reporters in Bonn, Kara-Murza gives another personal testimony: “During takeoff from Russia, the intelligence officer who accompanied me said to me, ‘Look carefully out the window, because this is the last time you will see the homeland. ‘. I answered him that I have studied history and that is why I am sure that I will return to my homeland. Faster than you think.”

Thanks to Germany and…a request

Andrei Pivovarov, who in 2022 was sentenced to four years in prison for joining an “undesirable organization” was the first to speak on Friday – among other things to thank Germany and Chancellor Olaf Scholz for playing an “active role” on the completion of the prisoner exchange agreement.

At the same time, however, Pivovarov addressed the Western public opinion, expressing a plea for the way he deals with Russia: “Do not identify people with the state. There is a huge fear, not everyone is willing to end up in prison. But the forces of good are strong. Extend a hand of friendship, reach out to the world, it’s something that will help us all…”