Statement of the Anti-War Committee of Russia in connection with the persecution of Leonid Volkov’s father Revenge on opponents by putting pressure on relatives, as well as taking hostages, is the ancient practices of tyrannical regimes that are unacceptable in modern society. They are not welcomed by Orthodoxy, to which Putin’s regime loves to consider itself so. The Anti-War Committee of Russia does not have power tools capable of resisting inhumanity. But it is our duty to urge Western politicians to remember that by negotiating with any representative of Putin’s administration, even if they have “harvard diplomas”, they actually communicate with an accomplice of crimes such as massacres and hostage taking. The so-called investigative actions against Leonid Volkov’s father serve as yet another reminder that Putin’s regime has taken revenge throughout its existence and continues to do so by persecuting the close people of its opponents. The persecution affected the mother of film critic Anton Dolin, the father of politician Ivan Zhdanov, the father of journalist Andrei Soldatov and many others. Members of the Anti-War Committee also faced pressure on their loved ones. In this situation, we cannot remain on the sidelines and express our solidarity and support to Mikhail and Leonid Volkov. At the same time, we urge not to forget that Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians are being held in Russian prisons, and they are not provided with even minimal rights.
Signed by:
- Sergey Aleksashenko
- Dmitry Gudkov
- Boris Zimin
- Vladimir Kara-Murza
- Mikhail Kasyanov
- Evgeny Kiselyov
- Mikhail Kokorich
- Elena Lukyanova
- Maxim Reznik
- Artur Smolyaninov
- Mikhail Khodorkovsky
- Evgeny Chichvarkin
- Anastasia Shevchenko
- Ekaterina Shulman