Russian opponents in exile march in Berlin and Geneva against Kremlin policies – rts.ch

The protesters demanded the “immediate withdrawal” of Russian troops from Ukraine, the dismissal of Vladimir Putin and his trial as a “war criminal”, as well as the release of all political prisoners held in Russia.

The march in Berlin, a city which hosts many exiles and Russian opponents, was to end in front of the Russian embassy. Organizers estimated there were at least 2,000 participants.

In Geneva, nearly fifty Russians from abroad demonstrated on the Place des Nations against the regime of President Putin. They demanded an immediate end to the conflict. “Say no to war”, “Manuscripts do not burn”, “Stop Putin” could be read on the banners brandished by the demonstrators.

Navalnaya, Yashin and Vladimir Kara-Murza lead the parade

Russian power has methodically eradicated all dissent in recent years, throwing hundreds, even thousands, of people behind bars and making any protest action impossible. The opposition, which lost its figurehead, Alexeï Navalny, in February, who died in murky circumstances in prison, is deprived of the means to act in Russia and therefore forced to relaunch the movement from abroad.

>> Also read: “I will die” in prison, Navalny wrote in his memoirs

In the German capital, Yulia Navalnaïa, Navalny’s widow, and his allies led the procession with other initiators of the mobilization, such as Ilia Yashin, former Moscow municipal deputy recently released from prison, and Vladimir Kara-Murza , a longtime Kremlin critic who survived prison and two poisoning attempts.

>> Read also: Vladimir Kara-Murza: “A day will come when Russia will be a democratic and free country”

“It is very important to show that we can work together and consolidate the various forces of the Russian anti-war movement,” insisted Vladimir Kara-Murza, on the air of the opposition television Dojd in early November.

“It is important to show that Russians and Russian speakers are not all for Putin, as one might believe in the eyes of the whole world, but that they also defend liberal democratic values, that they are against war and murder “, testified a demonstrator, Polina Zelenskaïa, a Russian-speaking student in Berlin.

Internal divisions

The anti-Putin movement is also weakened by heavy divisions and internal struggles between its representatives. Several scandals within the opposition have weakened the movement and caused frustration among some of its activists.

In question, the attack with a hammer on an ally of Navalny, the victim pointing the finger at the movement of ex-oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Or these accusations against the anti-corruption foundation of the late opponent which allegedly covered up the machinations of crooked bankers in Russia.

Since the death of the charismatic anti-corruption activist, his movement has struggled to rekindle the flame of the fight against Russian power. Illustrating these difficulties, Yulia Navalnaïa recently admitted to not having a “plan” to achieve the fall of Vladimir Putin and an end to the war.

rad with afp