Russia’s political prisoners must not be forgotten
In August 2024, the largest prisoner exchange between Moscow and the West since the end of the Cold War took place, drawing much-needed attention to the issue of political prisoners in Putin’s Russia. While the release of high-profile opposition figures in August was certainly welcome, it is vital that the international community does not forget the thousands of Russian political prisoners who remain incarcerated.
Since taking power a quarter of a century ago, Vladimir Putin has transformed Russia into an increasingly ruthless and aggressive dictatorship. The warning signs were there from the very beginning, such as his December 2000 decision to reinstate the Stalin-era Soviet national anthem. Putin also embraced the pomp and pageantry of the Russian Empire, reflecting his goal of underlining the continuity in Russian history from Ivan the Terrible to Joseph Stalin.
During the early years of Putin’s reign, some of his government’s initial acts of oppression focused on the Russian media. Independent TV channels were taken under state control and satirical programs shut down. Efforts to dismantle Russia’s fledgling democracy also began almost immediately. The level of fraud during the first parliamentary elections of the Putin era took many by surprise. At the time, we could not imagine how farcical the entire process of Russian elections would soon become.
As Putin sought to strengthen his grip on power, the Kremlin initially targeted those accused of economic crimes. However, this was soon expanded to include political opponents and anyone deemed a potential threat to the regime. Within a few years, political repression had become one of the defining features of Putin’s rule.
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Putin’s powerful propaganda machine has succeeded in convincing the majority of Russians to accept the return of authoritarianism. While public support for the regime is far less enthusiastic than the Kremlin likes to claim, most Russians have been persuaded to stay away from politics and ignore the increasingly oppressive climate in the country. At the same time, around 20 percent of the Russian population categorically disagree with the direction the country has taken since 2000. It is this group that Putin seeks to silence via policies targeting the most active elements.
The Kremlin is primarily concerned with two groups: Commentators and activists. Those who publicly criticize the regime pose a threat because the authorities have no response to their accusations other than oppression. Activists are viewed as even more dangerous as they remain ready to join protests and participate in elections. The courage, clarity, and selflessness they demonstrate has the power to resonate on a human level with far larger numbers of ordinary Russians, including millions who are otherwise disengaged from politics.
The Kremlin has developed a system for dealing with these troublesome elements. To begin with, they may receive a warning. They are then fined, deprived of civil rights, and declared foreign agents. If they still do not stop their activities or leave the country, they are likely to be jailed. In this manner, the Putin regime silences its opponents and prevents any opposition from gaining momentum.
The list of offenses that qualify as anti-regime activity also continues to expand. Any opinions on the invasion of Ukraine that differ from the official narrative are deemed worthy of jail time. There have also been instances of people being imprisoned for expressing generic anti-war sentiments such as “thou shalt not kill,” or for displaying the yellow and blue colors of the Ukrainian flag. In one recent case, a man was jailed for given the “wrong” answer to journalists surveying public opinion about the war in Ukraine.
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The Anti-War Committee, an organization created by well-known Russian political emigrants in cooperation with various anti-war organizations in Russia, has put together a list of one thousand names of Russian political prisoners whose cases are purely political in nature. But even this list is not complete.
There are currently believed to be around one and a half thousand political prisoners in Russia. Officially, they are incarcerated for offensives including discrediting the armed forces, supporting terrorism, and treason. In practice, this often means voicing opposition to the invasion of Ukraine or criticizing Putin and his policies. There may actually be many more political prisoners, as numerous activists have been jailed on criminal charges.
These figures do not compare to the scale of political oppression witnessed during the Stalin era, of course. The Putin regime has learned that targeted cases of persecution are sufficient to exercise control over the wider population. The quantity of people who have been frightened into silence is many thousands of times greater than the relatively small number of Russians currently being held as political prisoners.
The outlook for Russia’s current generation of political prisoners is bleak. They are completely at the mercy of their jailers and the regime. Many have died in prison. While the deaths of prominent figures such as Alexei Navalny have garnered international headlines, this has done little to deter the Kremlin. On the contrary, it is widely recognized that other political prisoners are at risk of suffering the same fate.
Most of Russia’s political prisoners understood the risks they were taking. They knew that by attending a peaceful protest or expressing their opposition to the invasion of Ukraine, they could lose their liberty permanently and might never return home. This makes their actions even more courageous. The international community must not tolerate the brutal oppression of people who voluntarily risked their lives for the freedom of others.
Many Russians are doing whatever we can to raise awareness about our country’s political prisoners. Others can also make valuable contributions. Every single reminder that there are brave people in today’s Russia who oppose Putin is important. If international political leaders can be encouraged to raise the issue, they may be able to save lives. And if an amnesty for political prisoners becomes a key demand for any future agreements with Putin, the number of lives saved could be in the thousands. Most of all, we must never forget those who are prepared to sacrifice everything for the values that many in the democratic world take for granted.
Leonid Gozman is a Russian politician, psychologist, and pro-democracy activist. He was declared a “foreign agent” by the Russian authorities in 2022 and arrested on political charges. He was able to leave the country before being sentenced in absentia to eight and a half years for his anti-war views.
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The views expressed in UkraineAlert are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Atlantic Council, its staff, or its supporters.
The Eurasia Center’s mission is to enhance transatlantic cooperation in promoting stability, democratic values and prosperity in Eurasia, from Eastern Europe and Turkey in the West to the Caucasus, Russia and Central Asia in the East.
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Image: Partial lunar eclipse is seen with the Kremlin and Russia’s Foreign Ministry headquarters building in the foreground, in Moscow, Russia, September 18, 2024. (REUTERS/Marina Lystseva)
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