The Russian political dissident Boris Kagarlitsky is in custody.

Recently, discussions have intensified about another possible prisoner exchange. Which Russian political prisoners are being considered for exchange with whom remains unclear, yet the debate about who should and should not be included in exchange lists is well underway.

I have said several times, and I repeat now, that I do not want to participate in such exchanges and ask not to be on these lists. I see no purpose or advantage for myself in emigration. If I had wanted to leave the country, I would have done it myself. But I don’t plan to leave my home country, and if that means I have to go to jail to stay here, then I will go to jail. After all, for a leftist politician or a social scientist in Russia, imprisonment is a normal professional risk, a risk that must be accepted when choosing this path – just as it is for a firefighter or rescue worker. It is simply part of the job, which I have done and will continue to try to do conscientiously.

Since time immemorial, exile from the state has been a form of political oppression against citizens unwanted by the authorities, and if we fight for freedom, such oppression – even if it is milder in form – should also be condemned by us. Political prisoners deserve unconditional release. For everyone. And to stay here at home.

It is said that some participants in previous exchanges were removed from Russia against their will. I don’t know the truth of this, but I want to state this in advance: if something like this is attempted on me, I will consider it kidnapping and will sue any foreign government as complicit in the crime if they try to accept me against my will.

I am grateful to my family for their support and understanding and also to the many people who write to me and approve of my choice. But this isn’t just about me. There are broader issues that need to be discussed.

There is a risk of replacing the struggle for the complete release of all political prisoners (which would not only be a humane act but a step towards changing the moral climate of the country) with the compilation of exchange lists aimed at freeing a few dozen more or less famous people, while hundreds and even thousands of other prisoners of conscience remain behind bars. In addition, the compilers of these lists take responsibility for deciding who should be released and who should remain incarcerated. This is unfair and undemocratic, and goes against the very principles for which we make sacrifices. The only fair demand is the release of all participants in nonviolent political protests, all those arrested for exercising their constitutional right to criticize government decisions.

There is also another important point that should not be forgotten. Political prisoners are not only found in Russia. Everything that happens to us has global consequences. If dictators around the world learn that political prisoners are a profitable resource that can be successfully traded or sold, they will do anything to increase their exchange fund. They will imprison even more. At the same time, the task is to make it unprofitable for states to have political prisoners, to make repression too costly a pleasure for the ruling circles. This was the situation at the end of the 20th century when democratization processes took place not only in the countries of the former Soviet bloc but also in other parts of the world. We know that this democratization was extremely superficial and did not challenge the dominant position of the elite. But even so, it was a step forward. Now we see processes everywhere that go in the opposite direction. That is why it is fundamentally important now not to fight for individual well-known political prisoners, but for an end to political oppression as such.

Of course, there are different situations, and in some cases, exchange is the only available way to save a person. Conditions of detention for political prisoners vary. I am fully aware that my situation is far from the worst by general standards. For this reason, I do not try to make decisions for others or to impose my personal opinion as a universal principle. But I would recommend, firstly, that political prisoners who have the physical and moral strength to continue the struggle refuse to participate in exchanges, and secondly, I ask the organizers of exchanges and compilers of lists to include only those prisoners who are known. to consent to freedom at the cost of expulsion from the country.

In conclusion, I will say: whatever choice we make, we must never forget that our goal is freedom and rights for all. Not only for those who are behind bars, but also for those who are subjected to other forms of oppression in Russia and around the world.

For more on Boris Kagarlitsky’s case see Boris Kagarlitsky Solidarity campaignn.