The Final Statement
«We can see that the government, while proclaiming that they’re fighting terrorism, in reality is only trying to retain their monopoly on terror.»
Throughout the years of my imprisonment for the previous criminal case, I have not started loving the country—and here I am again in the dock. Now I’m being tried for something the authorities labeled as “justifying terrorism,” falsifying evidence just as they did five years ago. The obviousness and impudence of such falsification do not bother them in the least; in fact, it helps them. It is as if they’re telling us: “We can imprison anyone, and it costs us nothing.”
The same impudence can be seen in many cases of inhumane torture by the regime enforcers from the FSB, when those enforcers aren’t bothered by the publicity of their disgraceful deeds. On the contrary, they present them as something to be proud of. This is how the government shows its terroristic nature, which anarchists pointed out before the previous presidential elections by taking to the streets with the slogan “FSB is the main terrorist.”
Now, what we said back then has become clear not only in our country but in the whole world. Now we see how the foreign and domestic policies of the government have led to a conveyor of murder and intimidation. While fake witnesses are proving that I am justifying terrorism, federal channels are calling for mass murders of those opposed to the government’s policies. We can see that the government, while proclaiming that they’re fighting terrorism, in reality is only trying to retain their monopoly on terror.
However, no matter how the security officers try to intimidate civil society, even in such dark times, we see people who find the courage to resist the terror that has gone beyond the country’s borders. While risking not only their freedom but their lives, through their actions, they awaken the conscience of our society, a deficit of which we all strongly feel. Their perseverance until the very end serves as an example for all of us.
One such example for me was my friend and comrade Dmitry Petrov (also known as Dima Ecologist), who died defending Bakhmut from soldiers who had become a tool of imperialism. I knew him as a passionate anarchist who, under dictatorship, did everything possible to lead us toward a society based on the principles of mutual aid and direct democracy. As a graduate of the Faculty of History at Moscow State University and a candidate of historical sciences, he had a deep understanding of his beliefs about the structure of society and could explain his position well—something I always lacked. At the same time, he didn’t limit himself to theory but actively participated in organizing a partisan movement, which did not escape the attention of the FSB. Because of this, he continued his anarchist activities in Ukraine.
When the grim events of the last two years began, he couldn’t stay on the sidelines. As an initiative-driven comrade, he sought to create a union of libertarian-minded people fighting for the freedom of the people of Ukraine and Russia. Unfortunately, no war comes without casualties, and Dima became one of them. It would be unjustifiably selfish of me to admire the selflessness of strangers and not acknowledge the sacrifice of those dear to me. I am fully aware of this, despite my regret that all my interactions with him are now irretrievably in the past. And yet, I find it difficult to come to terms with this loss: knowing that he was one of the best among us and wanting to do everything possible to ensure his sacrifice was not in vain, I have to admit that my contribution will be insignificant compared to what he was capable of.
For some, what I’ve said may have come as a surprise. I don’t rule out that some of my supporters might be disappointed, as, to my regret, I often find it difficult to speak publicly. Perhaps some will disagree with my beliefs, which go against pacifism. However, striving to be rational in everything, I reject belief in unproven entities. This includes my disbelief in the justice of the world. I do not believe that every evil will automatically be punished. That is precisely why I support active resistance to this evil and the fight for a better world for all of us.
But even if someone among my supporters doesn’t agree with my beliefs, I am still grateful to them for their help.
I am grateful to the ones who wrote me letters full of warmth and kind wishes. Even while being in such isolation, in which the colony was, I received them in stacks nearly every week. I am sure that such attention to me had to be taken into account by those whose goal was to make me submissive. It touches me that people share a part of their life, whether these are joyful moments or sad experiences. Every letter is dear to my heart, and none of them are left unread.
A huge thank you to those who support me financially; because of it, throughout all my years of imprisonment, I never lacked anything. There were times when my funds were running low, but as soon as I had to send out a call for help, compassionate people replenished my fund to a sufficient level in just a few days. It is very nice and impossible to forget. A special thank you to Vladimir Akimenkov, who has been collecting money for politically imprisoned people, including me, for over ten years.
I am extremely grateful to the activists of the FreeAzat and the Solidarity FreeAzat for organizing solidarity actions and events for me, the scale of which amazes me. Your recent solidarity action “Thousand and One Letters” became one of them. As I read all these letters, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that people from dozens of countries care about me. Huge thanks to everybody who participated in that action, showing how much you support me.
I am very grateful to the mathematicians from all over the world, and especially to the “Azat Miftakhov Committee,” who are helping in the mathematical field. It touches me when people whom I look up to and the scientific level of whom I would like to reach someday know about me and express their solidarity.
A huge thank you to everybody who spoke about me publicly. A separate thank you to Mikhail Lobanov, who, due to his active support for me, among other reasons, had to emigrate to France. But even from there, despite the difficulties of being an immigrant, his solidarity with me remains as strong as ever.
A huge thank you to Russian activists, including those outside the collectives mentioned above, who, by showing solidarity under a dictatorship, are risking their comfort. I am very grateful to all the attendees of this trial, who came to support me with their presence. Some of you traveled hundreds of kilometers to be here, and some did so more than once. I was once again pleasantly surprised by such enormous attention to me.
A huge thank you to all the honest members of the press, whose work helps society stay informed about my trial.
I thank my defender, Svetlana Sidorkina, for her dedication to her work and the way she defends me in the proceedings. I never cease to admire her professionalism and am convinced that I am very fortunate to have her. Finally, I want to thank Lena – my main support during my trials. She selflessly helps me overcome all the difficulties of my imprisonment. Moreover, I am happy to love her.
I conclude my expressions of gratitude, yet I still retain the feeling that I may have missed someone. This is a consequence of the immense support that has never left me since the moment of my arrest. I am glad to see that I am by far not the only one who has become an object of your support; despite the grim events of recent years, your solidarity knows no territorial borders. It is precisely this that gives me hope for a bright future for all of us.
Central District Military Court, Yekaterinburg, Russia
March 28, 2024
Source: https://t.me/freeazat/2661 and continued at https://t.me/freeazat/2662
More about the case: https://memopzk.org/figurant/miftahov-azat-fanisovich/
Photo: BFM.RU
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