She escaped by thinking of singer Brassens and actor Pierre Richard: Russian film criticism Ekaterina Barabachwhich risked up to ten years in prison in his country for denouncing the war in Ukraine, fled for France thanks to the help of reporters without borders (RSF).
“I left my 96 -year -old mother telling myself that I will never see her again. But it was better not to see her by being free rather than not seeing her because of the prison, “said 64 -year -old journalist on Monday, May 5 at a press conference at the RSF headquarters in Paris.
“The adventure” of his escape lasted two and a half weeks but Ekaterina Barabach, who was speaking in English, did not reveal the details of his journey, for security reasons. “Now I am here and it will not be easy to start a new life”continued the journalist, thanking all those who helped her in her flight, including RSF and the Russians in exile. She now requests political asylum in France.
On April 21, the Russian federal prison service announced that it was placed on the list of people wanted. She had disappeared from her home on April 13, when she was under house arrest as part of an investigation For the dissemination of “false information” on the Russian army. This measure had been ordered by a Moscow court after its arrest at the end of February.
“Prison in Russia is worse than death”
According to Ekaterina Barabach, the Russian authorities blame him Four old publications on social networksin which she had virulently criticized the offensive carried out in Ukraine since February 2022.
“So, a bunch of bastards, you have bombed (Ukraine), shaved in whole cities, killed a hundred children, shot dead from peaceful people, maintained Marioupol under blockade, deprived millions of people of a normal life, forced to go abroad?”, Had she written in a publication cited by the independent media Meduza.
“This war is particularly horrible for me, Because my son and his family live in Ukraine, in kyiv, and I imagine the missiles falling on their house, “said the journalist born in Kharkiv under the USSR (in current Ukraine).
According to her, her “luck” is to have been under house arrest after her arrest, rather than prisoned: “This is why I decided to escape”. “Prison in Russia is worse than death”she added, ensuring have thought of suicide. According to RSF, Ekaterina Barabach has torn off its electronic bracelet to escape and traveled more than 2,800 kilometers.
His trip was “long and exhausting”said the director general of the NGO, Thibaut Bruttin. “Several times, we could believe that it had been arrested or risked being and several times, the plan changed. Once we thought it was dead“, he added, praising “His moral determination” et His “physical courage”.
“Censure”
Journalist for the Russian language service of Radio France International (RFI) until 2022, Ekaterina Barabach has been collaborating with the independent media Republic.
In October 2022, RSF had already participated in the escape of another Russian journalist, Marina Ovsiannikovawhich incurred ten years in prison after having brandished an anti-war sign on state television.
“Since the escape of Marina Ovsiannikova, the possibilities of escaping have been reduced. This is why we are relieved today, because it proves that it is possible”, even if “it is very dangerous”, commented Thibaut Bruttin.
In the latest annual RSF ranking on press freedom, published on May 2, Russia is 171st out of 180. “There is no more journalism in Russia” because of “censorship”deplored Ekaterina Barabach, who hopes be able to continue your job in France.
Read more
