I’ve known Ilya Yashin @ilya_yashin since he was 18. He was probably the first friend I made in politics. Today, Yashin was sentenced to 8.5 years in prison for an anti-war statement online. Having known Yashin for so long, I won’t even try to write something like, “Stay strong, Ilya.” I already know that he did everything right and will endure this. Another shameless and lawless Putin-era verdict will not silence Ilya, and it must not intimidate the honest people of Russia. This is yet another reason why we must keep fighting, and I have no doubt that in the end we will win. Ilya, we are all proud of you. Russia will be free, and you will be free.