BERLIN – All Russian opposition politician Ilya Yashin had with him when he was released from his penal colony in a swap was his toothbrush, a tube of toothpaste, his expired passport and the prison garb he was wearing.
But he has hit the ground running.
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Within days of arriving in Germany, Yashin not only bought new clothes, set up a smartphone and reunited with his parents, but also held a news conference, fielded questions from his supporters live on YouTube and held a rally in a Berlin park — even if it meant he didn’t have time to catch up on sleep.
The 41-year-old dissident, released last week in the historic East-West prisoner exchange, admits he doesn’t quite know how to be a politician in exile, a role that was forced upon him against his wishes.
But in an interview Friday in Berlin with The Associated Press, he said he wanted to continue campaigning against Russia’s war in Ukraine, trying to free more political prisoners and advance projects to unite the country’s fragmented opposition.
“There is a lot of work,” said Yashin, visibly tired from his tight schedule.
A vocal and outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin, Yashin was convicted of spreading false information about the Russian military after he made remarks on YouTube about hundreds of corpses found in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha after Russian forces withdrew from the area in March 2022, some bound and shot at close range.
He was serving 8 1/2 years in prison when on Aug. 1, Russian authorities put him on a plane to Turkey in the exchange.
It wasn’t something he wanted or sought, Yashin stressed at a news conference after arriving to Germany along with other Russian dissidents. In fact, he had said at one point that he would never accept such a deal — and reiterated it last week, describing his release as a “forced deportation.”
Unlike many Kremlin critics, Yashin had long refused to leave Russia despite mounting pressure from the authorities, arguing that his voice would sound weaker from abroad. He stayed even after the invasion in 2022 and hastily adopted laws criminalizing any public criticism of it.
He told AP that his newfound freedom has left him feeling conflicted.
On one hand, there's “a massive surge of enthusiasm, massive inspiration and a lot of joy,” Yashin said.
“For the first time in over two years … I don’t need to wake up at 5 a.m. after being ordered to wake up, I don’t need to walk with my hands behind my back, there are no bars, fences and barbed wire around, I can breathe in fresh air, eat what I want, call whoever and whenever I want,” Yashin said. “This feeling of freedom, it’s inebriating.”
On the other hand, when he thinks about scores of other people still languishing in prisons and jails in Russia, “it feels like I’m getting hit in the head with a hammer.”
Working to swap more of them is now part of Yashin’s focus. There are so many more worthy of freedom than himself, the dissident believes, especially those whose emotional and physical health is rapidly deteriorating behind bars.
He also wants to stay in touch with Russian emigres abroad and advocate for them with Western officials, as well as put forward projects that Kremlin foes could unite around.
But Yashin sees his main mandate as reaching as many people inside Russia as he can — and not just those who oppose the war, but those who support it, too.
“We need to talk to them, and we need to pull these people out of the shackles of Putin’s propaganda,” Yashin told the Berlin rally on Wednesday. “We need to explain that this monstrous war against Ukraine ... is a war against Russia too, because this war is crippling ... entire generations. It is taking away the future of our country.”
He has faced criticism for urging a cease-fire in one of his first interviews after release, but says it will not deter him.
“I feel responsibility for what is happening and want to prove … to Russians that this war is harmful for Russia, that it a tragedy for both Ukraine and Russia,” Yashin said.
Getting through to those who support the Kremlin "will be an important step to stop the aggression,” he said.
Yashin intends to use his YouTube channel, which has nearly 1.7 million followers, but admits it could be difficult because Russian authorities reportedly are slowing down the platform that is a vital conduit there for critical voices at a time when most independent media and Western social platforms have been blocked.
He said at some point, he will need to take a pause to sort out his life in Germany, assemble a team and find time to rest and recuperate after prison.
Over two years behind bars took a toll on his physical and mental state, Yashin admitted. He has noticed, for example, that he slouches more often after many nights on an uncomfortable cot in solitary confinement. Although there are other health issues he must address, he says he is “fine” overall.
He said he got a big emotional boost from Wednesday's rally, that drew hundreds of his supporters.
“The atmosphere there was absolutely amazing," Yashin added. "I recharged with the warm, lively energy from the people, which will definitely help me adjust more than any therapists, any beaches and any food.”