‘My entire life and literary work were bound to the Communist Party.’
Final Statements
‘Everyone who took part in these politically ordered arrests will carry this stain for the rest of their lives.’
'If a person speaks out against war, they certainly should not be in prison. Every sensible person is always against war.'
'You will not find any violations if you conduct an honest examination; you will not find any violations of your legislation in these five sentences.'
‘I do not consider myself guilty, and once again I ask to be given the opportunity to continue my work together with my colleagues.’
The Final Statement ‘Even from pre-trial detention, I continue to follow the news, and I still cannot understand why representatives of our state condemn restrictions on freedom of speech in…
‘...I found myself in a world depicted in the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch. It's a completely different world with its own unique science of punishing people.’
'I do not consider myself a terrorist and I do not agree with the charges brought against me. I do not know how my future and my life will unfold, but I have this deep personal feeling that, after all, this is more of a cosplay of justice.'
'No matter how long or how meticulously the authorities search for evidence of the 'crime' for which I am being tried, they will not find it. Because there was no crime, and there is no guilt.'
'Allah sees that my conscience is clear.'
'I am glad that I was able to publicly express the opinion of millions of Russians who, even amid the overwhelming tide of cannibalistic propaganda, managed to preserve the conscience and honour of a decent human being.'
‘They fail to see that Ukrainians don’t need any ‘big brother’. They don’t need, much less, any so-called triune Russian people.’
'After the Revolution, I became a full citizen of the USSR, and to this day I have never disgraced that high honour.'
‘For me, it was not enough to know that my voice would not be a ‘yes’–it was important to me that my voice would not be a ‘no’.’
'It is unacceptable to persecute for art.'
‘The only joy in my life was my work, and I took pride in it.’
'We are dealt guilty verdicts convicted for doubtings that an assault on a neighboring state is aimed at maintaining international peace and security.'
'Imprisonment gave me time to think. The cleansing silence of solitary confinement, above all, helped me understand who I am and what I am here for.'
‘...even if my works have not been good enough today, I take pride in the thought that they will serve as fertiliser for the future Soviet Homers...’
'... if a person possesses inner freedom, then the loss of external freedom is not all that important. For freedom is necessity overcome.'
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