'I saw bags over people’s heads. Wires on their limbs. Broken ribs. Damaged kidneys. People beaten to death. Starvation for over a year. No medical help. People rotting alive—their arms, their legs. Lice and bedbugs. Two showers a year that we were allowed to, and after each one, we came out filthier than before. And beaten as well.'
Final Statements
'Without the freedom of speech, without the ability of citizens to express their opinion, without fear of prosecution, a country is doomed to collapse.'
‘It’s as though we’re in a “Black Mirror” episode right now. Honestly, it all suggests my case is politically motivated.’
'The generation that has already passed has bequeathed to us to protect the world with all our might, as the most valuable thing on Earth for all its inhabitants. And we have neglected his precepts and devalued our memory of these people and the victims of that war.'
‘We are the independent journalists of this country, we have no obligation to please the president.’
'We are accused of seizing power in the Russian Federation. But, excuse me, when did we personally come to live in the Russian Federation? We lived in Ukraine, and none of us moved to the Russian Federation. The Russian Federation came to us itself. It annexed our homeland Crimea as part of its country. Moreover, it did so illegally. And this is not my personal opinion, but the opinion of the entire international community.'
‘These handcuffs are temporary, sooner or later, they will be removed.’
'For some reason, it is now customary to take pride only in military successes. Excuse me, but the motherland is like a mother. Mothers sometimes get sick, and sometimes things don't work out for them. Does that mean we stop loving them? No.'
'All this year, I feel like a victim of the greatest absurdity I have ever encountered in life and art.'
'And please stop calling me a soldier. I do not want to associate with bio-trash.'
‘Stop torturing my grandmother and my children.’
‘I decided to fight back. Ukraine is my home.’
'There is little hope for the fairness of the trial'.
‘The inability to peacefully influence the actions of the authorities, and the criminal prosecution of those who disagree, leads to some leaving the country, while others decide to take action.’
'One cannot seek justice only for oneself and silence one’s conscience when justice is being violated in relation to others.'
'We are dealt guilty verdicts convicted for doubtings that an assault on a neighboring state is aimed at maintaining international peace and security.'
'This country does not belong only to the 5 or 10 children of oligarchs, but to the millions of other children as well. Every child in Azerbaijan has the right to live in prosperity, justice, and dignity.'
‘Your power is based on lies and violence’
'Making the right choice, raising the level of honesty and common sense — that is our path. Without us, elections cannot make themselves fair. It is people who make them fair.'
‘I demand the maximum sentence. Because I despise you. I will not live on this land or in this country with you.’
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