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Sunday’s Opinion: Mr. Ashurkov, you live in a madhouse in London. Why did you leave Russia?
Vladimir Ashurkov: In early 2014, the political situation in Russia worsened. Alexei Navalny was placed under house arrest. I myself was monitored more and more. And since the birth of our son was imminent, my wife and I decided to leave the country for a while.
What happened after?
When our son was born in London, a criminal case was opened against me for political reasons in Russia. It was weird. They accused me of stealing Navalny’s campaign funds, although Navalny himself denied it. Then I realized: if I go back to Russia, I’ll end up in prison for God knows how long.
Are you safe now?
Most of the leaders of Nawalny’s team have been arrested in recent days. Navalny himself faces several years in prison. So I definitely feel safer in London than in Moscow. But we also know it: Russian security forces have a lot of experience in murdering someone outside of Russia.
Navalny was poisoned with war agent Novichok in August. Who is responsible for that?
An investigation by Bellingcat investigative journalists has shown in detail that everything points to the Russian secret service.
Even so, Navalny returned to Moscow two weeks ago. Why?
That is a natural consequence of your strategy and character. His life’s work and his organization are in Russia. And he did nothing wrong.
He was arrested immediately upon arrival. Can you communicate with your family and your team?
The only person who has access to it is your lawyer. She visits him once a day, brings him information and takes messages from him outside.
Hundreds of thousands of Russians took to the streets last weekend to protest Navalny’s arrest. Have you ever experienced something like this?
There was a large demonstration in Moscow in 2017 after our organization released a video exposing the corrupt machinations of former Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. But the current protests are taking place in countless cities across the country, despite the cold and Corona’s restrictions. Nothing like it has ever existed.
There are many young people among the protesters. Are you more critical of President Vladimir Putin than of the previous generation?
Putin’s approval rating is lowest among the younger generation. They complain that nothing is happening in Russia. Their future is stolen. There is no movement, there is no progress.
Many Russians see this as positive. They believe that Putin is a guarantor of stability.
Is that really true? We cannot trust surveys. Certainly less than 50 percent of Russians think so.
In Belarus, the people are rising up against the dictator Alexander Lukashenko. In Russia they are protesting against Putin. But is change really possible?
Naturally! This is exactly what history has taught us throughout the centuries and in all countries. Nothing is forever.
How will the protests affect the Russian parliamentary elections next fall?
It is difficult to say because Putin controls the electoral process. Determine who can run as a candidate and collect donations. His own party has unlimited financial resources. But we have already succeeded in getting several independent MPs to enter regional parliaments. We want to achieve this in the fall national elections.
A few days ago his organization released the film “Putin’s Palace.” More than 100 million people have seen it. Which is the message
Anyone who watches the movie is appalled at the corruption and insanity of it all. There are many palaces in the world, Versailles for example or Buckingham Palace. But these palaces were built and inhabited in front of everyone. Putin’s palace, however, is hidden. It’s huge. So far, more than a billion dollars have been spent on it. It really is absurd.
What does this property say about Putin?
It tells us something about the Russian energy system, which has no separation of powers. This palace is one of many that Putin’s cronies built for him. They stole the money for this from the state treasury or took over the companies they control. But the palace on the Black Sea stands out for its strange archaic architecture. Anyone who builds something like this for himself is mentally ill.
The United States and the EU have called on Russia to immediately release Navalny. US President Joe Biden telephoned Putin about the poison attack on Navalny. Do these reactions have any effect on the Russian president?
In any case. Putin is not a strategist, but a strategist. Calculate each step just before you take it. Now he is watching the reactions to the illegal arrest of Navalny in Russia and the echo in the international environment. Based on this, he will decide next week what to order the judge who will rule on Navalny.
Which is your destination? What is it ultimately for you and Alexei Navalny?
Over the past 20 years, Vladimir Putin has created an extensive system of economic and political corruption. We want a political system to prevail in Russia that represents the views of its citizens. Russia should become a country with independent courts and free media, with a responsible government that rejects corruption.
