On 18 May, a Moscow court ordered my arrest in absentia. In a couple of weeks, I will discover my sentence for “spreading disinformation” about the Russian army. This refers to my outspokenness against the war in Ukraine and my efforts to expose the atrocities committed by Russian soldiers in my home country. It’s likely that I’ll receive a guilty verdict, as nobody who has been charged under this penal code article has ever been found innocent. My future sentence can be predicted considering that the same judge who ruled against Russian writer Dmitry Glukhovsky, sentencing him to eight years for his anti-war stance, is presiding over my case.
This crime is not recognized by any other country, and I refuse to acknowledge it as well. I will continue to use every available platform to condemn the invasion. Before my sentencing, I want to share an important message.
Moscow was my home for almost two decades. I made significant contributions to the Russian film industry, with two of my produced films receiving Academy Award nominations. Leviathan, one of these films, became the first Russian film to win a Golden Globe since 1969. Not only do I speak Russian fluently, but I have also written books in the language. Through my films, I brought recognition and acclaim to Russian cinema on an international scale.
Despite the Russian state’s knowledge that it cannot imprison me, it has invested time and effort in prosecuting me. The motivation behind this decision is simple. Like previous individuals such as activist Ilya Krasilshchik, journalist Alexander Nevzorov, blogger Veronika Belotserkovskaya, and Glukhovsky, I am being used as an example of the consequences faced by those who openly criticize the war.
In preparation for my sentencing, I reached out to some close Russian friends to provide character testimonies. Sadly, they all declined, fearing the inability to alter the outcome. One friend stated, “I would have come if there was even the slightest chance of my testimony changing anything, but we both know that’s not the case. I can’t take the risk.”
Putin’s scare tactics have been effective in instilling fear in the population. Some of my friends in Moscow are too anxious to contact me via phone or text. They even avoid meeting me when they travel to Europe, fearing that being seen with me—a perceived enemy of Putin’s state—could jeopardize their careers or lead to prosecution.
My personal experience is emblematic of the overall state of the country. Putin has successfully intimidated the nation into submission, arresting individuals who express dissent against the war and imprisoning them for their beliefs. Just recently, a journalist in Khakassia received a five-and-a-half-year sentence for writing about 11 Russian soldiers who refused to fight in Ukraine.
Fear pervades every aspect of Russian society, but fear should not be equated with support.
Over the weekend, Russia held its most significant regional elections of the year. Putin’s party claimed a resounding victory, although allegations of widespread election fraud arose. Interestingly, the candidates largely avoided discussing the war. Sergey Sobyanin, the mayor of Moscow and perhaps the second most influential politician in Russia, has spoken publicly about the war only twice since Ukraine’s invasion in February of the previous year. The war was not mentioned at all during his campaign. Local politicians and officials in Buryatia, the region with the highest war casualties, have reportedly ceased discussing the war altogether. Some have even openly expressed their desire for the war to end as soon as possible. In the small town of Krasnokamsk in the Perm region, a candidate from the Yabloko party won a seat in the local Duma under the slogan “I am for peace.”
Putin has worked tirelessly to create an illusion of unity, attempting to convey a strong pro-war sentiment across Russia. This is part of his strategy to intimidate Ukraine’s allies and convince them that resistance is futile, leading them to eventually tire of supporting Kyiv. However, it’s a bluff.
Russia is afraid. The Russian population has chosen silence and the comfort of their everyday lives, ignoring the war at all costs. The public has largely entrusted the fighting to those who give and follow orders. This should not be mistaken for support.
When they are eventually defeated in Ukraine, Russians will not rally to defend Putin. By preventing protests against his policies, he has ensured that nobody will come to his aid when the time comes.
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