Ilia Yachin during a hearing at Moscow City Court, July 13, 2022. DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV / AP
Ilia Iachine, 39, is one of the few leaders of Russia’s democratic opposition who has not fled the country. He was arrested in Moscow at the end of June on false grounds after speaking out against the war in Ukraine. On Monday, August 8, the Moscow City Court ordered the follower of already convicted and imprisoned Alexei Navalny and Boris Nemtsov, who was murdered in 2015, to remain in pre-trial detention during his trial and now face up to fifteen years in prison. The prosecutor requested that the hearing be held behind closed doors “so as not to allow Iachine to air his anti-war opinion.” The opponent, who attended the session via video link from prison, displayed a placard reading “No to war” as the court announced its decision. Today he answers the questions Le Monde sent him about his lawyers.
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You knew you risked getting locked up. What measures have you taken for your personal safety, for your health and for your loved ones?
I prepared myself morally. It is very important to ask yourself honestly in such a situation: Am I willing to go to prison for my beliefs? You have to have a clear idea of what to expect, not be under any illusions, and not be plagued by doubts. The Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovsky, who knew prisons and camps, once explained to me: “If you manage to suppress this fear with willpower, you become practically invulnerable to the system. »
I am aware that it is easier for me than for most prisoners in Russia. First of all, I sincerely believe that I have the truth on my side – and that gives me strength. Second, the arrest came as no surprise to me. My mental state is stable, I had my teeth and health treated in advance. Finally, I feel great support from my family, friends and society. Countless letters arrive in my cell every day, I have already received several thousand. It comes as a shock to the prison authorities who have never seen this before. This support is very encouraging to me.
What are your prison conditions like?
For the first two weeks, I was kept in a solitary cell to be subjected to mental pressure. Honestly, it didn’t work: I read quietly, wrote a lot, tried to delve into intellectual work. Then the administration transferred me to a shared cell. One of the inmates immediately tried to place me in the criminal hierarchy to test my emotional stability. But the other cellmates quickly recognized me and expressed their respect. I was finally accepted.
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