On the first day of the trial, I said that all of this would be overturned, because the entire case was a fake and a fabrication from the first word to the last.
It took three years and one month—and that is exactly what happened. The Presidium of the Supreme Court could not ignore our victory at the ECHR (the European Court of Human Rights), even though, incidentally, Deputy Prosecutor General Chaika’s representative at the trial had demanded that it do so, and it overturned all verdicts issued by every lower court.
Today, I no longer have a conviction on serious charges, I have the right to run in elections, and when I report to the local penal inspection office, I only have to sign a single form.
Nevertheless, I am categorically dissatisfied with this ruling, and I believe the Presidium of the Supreme Court did not comply with the ECHR’s judgment. They should have closed the case for lack of any criminal offense. Instead, they sent it back for a new hearing to the Leninsky District Court in Kirov.
I have neither the time nor the desire to travel there. Not to mention that I was never reimbursed for my previous expenses for my lawyers’ travel and accommodation, even though the ECHR ordered Russia to do so. Back to square one.
Although, in principle, it was clear that the Kremlin would, of course, try to “comply” with the ECHR ruling in this way in order to create as many problems for me as possible.
We will appeal the Presidium of the Supreme Court’s ruling to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which reviews cases involving failure to implement ECHR judgments.
Once again, I want to thank everyone who supported me through all these years of investigations and trials and believed that the truth was on our side.
We must push to ensure that everyone convicted in politically motivated cases receives rulings overturning their sentences and awarding compensation.
Whatever plans the Kremlin may have—whether to let me run in elections or not, whether to convict me again or not—I am not interested. I will continue my work and fight this harmful, thieving government by every available means, and I am counting on your support.