The final statement
«And you, please promise to remain hopeful and to remember how to smile. If we lose the ability to enjoy life, it would mean they have won.»
Dear listeners!
You have to admit that the phrase ‘the defendant’s final word’ sounds very grim. As if after making this statement in court, my mouth will be sewn shut and I will be forever forbidden to speak. Everyone understands that’s exactly the point. They want to isolate me from society and keep me in prison because they want to silence me. First, our parliament ceased to be a place for discussion, and now all of Russia must silently agree with any actions of the authorities.
But I promise: as long as I live, I will never come to terms with it. My mission is to speak the truth. I spoke it in city squares, at television studios, from parliamentary podiums. I will not renounce the truth behind bars either. For, to quote a classic, “a lie is the religion of slaves, the truth is the god of a free man.”
At the beginning of my speech, I would like to address the court. Your Honour, I am grateful for how this trial was organized. You conducted a public process, opened it to the press and public, and did not prevent me from speaking freely or my lawyers from doing their work. And it seems that you did nothing special: this is how trials should be conducted in any normal country. But on the scorched field of Russian justice, this process looks like something alive. Believe me, I appreciate it.
I’ll tell you frankly, Oksana Ivanovna [Goryunova]: you made an unusual impression on me. I noticed that you listen to the prosecutor and defenders with interest, that you react to my words, that you question and reflect on what is going on. For the authorities, you are just a cog in the system, which should silently perform its function. But I see in you a living person who will take off her robe in the evening and go shopping in the same store where my mom buys cottage cheese. And I have no doubt that we face the same problems. I am sure that you, just like me, are shocked by this war and pray for the nightmare to end soon.
You know, Oksana Ivanovna, I have a principle that I have followed for many years: do what you must, and come what may. When the hostilities began, I did not doubt for a second what I had to do. I must stay in Russia, I must speak the truth, and I must do everything in my power to stop the bloodshed. It physically hurts me to realize how many people have died in this war, how many people have been crippled, and how many families have lost their homes. We simply cannot reconcile ourselves with that. And I swear—I regret nothing. It’s better to spend 10 years behind bars remaining an honest man than to silently burn with shame for the bloodshed at the command of your government.
Of course, Your Honour, I do not expect a miracle here. You know that I am innocent—and I know how this system pressures you. And obviously, you will have to issue a guilty verdict. But I bear no grudge against you and wish you no harm.However, try to do everything possible to prevent injustice. Remember, your decision affects not only my personal fate—this verdict is for that part of our society that wants to live peacefully and civilly. That part of society to which, perhaps, you belong yourself, Oksana Ivanovna.
Using this podium, I would also like to address the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. The person responsible for this massacre, who signed the ‘military censorship’ law, and by whose will I am put in prison.
Vladimir Vladimirovich!
Looking at the consequences of this monstrous war, you probably already realize the grave mistake you made on February 24. Our army is not welcomed with flowers. We are called executioners and occupiers. Your name is now firmly associated with the words ‘death’ and ‘destruction.’
You have brought terrible misfortune to the Ukrainian people, who will probably never forgive us. But you are waging war not only against Ukrainians but also against your own compatriots.
You send hundreds of thousands of Russians into the hell of combat action, many of whom will never return home, turning to dust. Many will be maimed and lose their minds from what they have seen and experienced. For you, this is just casualty statistics, columns of numbers. But for many families, this is the unbearable pain of losing husbands, fathers, and sons.
You deprive Russians of their home.
Hundreds of thousands of our compatriots have left their homeland because they do not want to kill or be killed. People are fleeing from you, Mr. President. Don’t you see that?
You undermine the foundation of our economic security. By switching our industry to military tracks, you are turning our country backward. Tanks and guns are again the priority, and our reality is again poverty and lawlessness. Have you forgotten that such a policy already led our country to collapse?
Though my words sound like the voice in the wilderness, but I urge you, Vladimir Vladimirovich, to immediately stop this insanity. It is necessary to acknowledge the policy towards Ukraine as mistaken, withdraw troops from its territory, and move to a diplomatic resolution of the conflict.
Remember, every new day of war brings new victims. Enough is enough.
Finally, I want to address the people who have followed this trial, who supported me all these months, and now anxiously await the verdict.
Friends! Whatever the decision of the court, however harsh the sentence—it should not break you down. I understand how hard it is for you now, how the feeling of powerlessness and hopelessness torments you. But you must not give up.
Please do not despair and do not forget that this is our country. It deserves to be fought for. Be brave, do not retreat before evil. Resist, stand up for your street, for your cities. Most importantly—stand up for each other. We are much more than it seems, and together we are a great force.
And don’t worry about me. I promise to withstand all trials, to not complain, and to walk this path with dignity. And you, please promise to remain hopeful and to remember how to smile. If we lose the ability to enjoy life, it would mean they have won.
Believe me, Russia will be free and happy.
Meshchansky Court, Moscow, Russia
December 6, 2022
More about the case: https://memopzk.org/figurant/yashin-ilya-valerevich/
Photo: Ilya Pitalev / RIA Novosti
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