"You are not only waging war on Ukraine, you are waging war on your compatriots"

On December 5, the Meshchansky Court of Moscow debated the case of opposition politician Ilya Yashin, who was accused of spreading "fake news" about the Russian army "out of political hatred". The case was opened because of his live broadcast on social media, in which he spoke about the murder of civilians in the town of Bukha. The prosecutor asked for a nine-year prison sentence for the politician and a ban on using the Internet for four years after serving his sentence. At the end of the trial, Yashin made his last speech. Its text was published on the politician's Telegram channel. Meduza quoted him in full. The announcement of the verdict to Yashin is scheduled for December 7.

Dear Listeners,

I must agree that the phrase "defendant's last words" sounds depressing. It's as if after speaking in court, my mouth will be sewn shut and I will never be allowed to speak again. But everyone present understood: this is the point of this trial. I was isolated from society and locked up in prison because they wanted me to be quiet. Because once our people's parliament is no longer a place for discussion, then all of Russia must silently agree with whatever the authorities do.

But I promise you this: I will not give up as long as I live. My mission is to tell the truth. I have said this in city squares, in TV studios, from parliamentary podiums: I will not give up the truth even if I am in prison. After all, to quote the classic, "Lies are the religion of slaves, and truth alone is the god of the free."

Your Honor, I appreciate the way this trial was organized. You conducted it openly in front of the media and the public, without interfering when I wanted to speak or obstructing my defense. It may seem trivial, but this is how courts work in any normal country! But in the scorched earth of Russian justice, it is rare that the law still seems to have a chance of survival. Believe me, I appreciate it.

Frankly, Oksana Ivanovna, you are very impressive. I noticed how you listened with interest to the arguments of the plaintiffs and the defense, and how you reacted to what I said, and how you sometimes doubted and reflected. For the government, you were just a cog in a machine, designed to act according to its instructions. But I saw you as a living person who would take off your judge's robes at night and go shopping in the same store where my mother bought cheese. I believe that you are troubled by the same problems as I am, and I am sure that you are as horrified by this war as I am, and pray that this nightmare will end as soon as possible.

You know, Oksana Ivanovna, I have a principle that I have followed for many years: do what you have to do, no matter what happens. When the war broke out, I did not hesitate for a second about what I had to do. I had to stand on Russian soil, I had to speak out the truth, I had to stop the bloodshed with all my strength. When I realized how many people died in this war, how many destinies were ruthlessly rewritten, how many families lost their homes, my body and soul were in so much pain that I could not bear it for a moment. I swear that I do not regret anything I have done. It is better to be an honest man and spend 10 years in prison than to burn in my heart the fire of shame for knowing the crimes of your government.

Of course, Your Honor, I don't expect any miracles here. You know I'm innocent, and I know you're being forced by the system. It's obvious that you have to make a guilty verdict. I have no ill will towards you, and I don't wish you to be entangled by the system. But I hope you will do everything you can to prevent the tragedy of injustice from happening. Please remember that your decision is not only about my personal fate - it is also a verdict on those people in our society who want to live in a peaceful and civilized way. And that part of society may very well include yourself, Oksana Ivanovna.

I would like to use this platform to address the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. I would like to speak to him, the man who is responsible for this massacre, the man who signed the "military censorship" and whose will has now deprived me of my freedom.

When you see the consequences of this appalling war, you may have understood what a grave mistake you made on February 24. Our troops were not greeted with flowers, we were called invaders and occupiers. The words "death" and "destruction" are now closely associated with your name.

You have brought terrible misery upon the Ukrainian people, and they will probably never forgive us. But you have not only waged war against Ukraine, you have waged war against your fellow citizens.

You sent hundreds of thousands of Russians into the hell of war, many of whom turned to dust and never came back, and many of whom became devastated and crazy because of what they saw and heard. For you, these are just lines of black letters in the statistics of losses. For countless families, it is the pain of losing husbands, fathers, and children.

You are taking away the homes of Russians where they grew up. Thousands of our compatriots have left their homes because they don't want to be murderers or be murdered. Mr. President, people are trying to escape from you, haven't you noticed?

You have destroyed the foundations of our economic security. You have shifted industrial capacity to military supplies and are causing our country to continue to decline. Tanks and guns have once again become the priority, while our reality is only poverty and powerlessness. Have you forgotten that such policies have already caused our country to collapse once?

Even though my words may sound like a sob in the desert, I urge you, Vladimir Vladimirovich, to stop this madness immediately, you must admit that your policy toward Ukraine is wrong, withdraw your troops from its territory and turn to a diplomatic solution to this conflict.

Please remember that every day in war means countless new victims.

Finally, I want to say a few words to those who have followed this trial, supported me for months, and anxiously awaited the verdict.

My friends! No matter what the court decides, no matter how harsh the sentence, it should not break your heart. I understand how hard it is for you now, and how you are tormented by feelings of powerlessness and despair, but you must not give up.

Please do not give into despair. Do not forget that this is our country. It is worth fighting for. We must be brave. Do not back down from evil and stop fighting. Stand up for your community, for your city, and most importantly, support each other. There are many more of us than we seem, and each of us is a great force.

Don't worry about me. I promise that I will endure all these hardships without complaint and walk this path with dignity. And you - please promise me that you will stay optimistic and don't forget to smile. Because the moment we lose the ability to love life will be the moment they win.

Believe me, the future of Russia will be free and happy.