A dissident recently released by Russia in a landmark prisoner swap has declared his intention to return to the country. Vladimir Kara-Murza, a prominent critic of the Kremlin, recounted his experience during an interview, revealing he feared for his life as he was being freed in Siberia last month.
In a conversation, Kara-Murza shared the moment of clarity he experienced; he realized he was one of 24 prisoners being released only while aboard the plane. In his first joint interview with his wife Evgenia since their reunion in Europe, he expressed a defiant commitment to return to Russia.
He recounted a striking interaction with a Federal Security Service (FSB) officer during the flight from Moscow, who ominously suggested it would be the last time he would see his homeland. Kara-Murza responded with confidence, asserting, “I am a historian, I don’t just think, I don’t just believe, I know that I’ll be back home in Russia, and it’s going to happen much sooner than you can imagine.”
Kara-Murza was sentenced to 25 years in a high-security prison on charges of high treason in April 2023 and endured solitary confinement during his imprisonment. Stay tuned for the full interview airing this Sunday.
