Newsletters / 2021 starts with Putin’s regime transition to open repression
Mikhail Khodorkovsky argued the recent arrest of Alexey Navalny marks the transition of Putin’s regime to demonstrative repression. In 2021 the risk level for the opposition in Russia has got higher.
“There was no other variant [for Navalny]: either you surrender or you go back to fight – so Navalny did absolutely the right thing. My situation [in 2003] was absolutely analogous.”
In January MBK spoke to Echo of Moscow editor in chief Alexey Venediktov on the upcoming Duma elections and perspectives for democratic opposition in 2021:
The most important criterion for supporting or not supporting the deputies should be: “Am I for Putin staying in power after 2024, or am I against?” (…) I am ready to urge people to vote for any candidate [in 2021 Duma elections], as long as he/she firmly states that Putin continuing to hold power after 2024 is not possible.
In a lengthy interview with Dmitry Gordon MBK talked about his early career, jail as well as current and future political situation in Russia.
Putin is just a bandit who has ended up in a position of power. The moment when a bandit constantly tried to take over and carve up some territory, led to the realisation that it would be good for the general population to live in prosperity, and that there are some common rules and laws.