A British-Russian Dissident’s Horrifying Experience in Solitary Confinement

Vladimir Kara-Murza, a British-Russian dissident and outspoken opponent of Vladimir Putin, has recounted his harrowing experience during 11 months of solitary confinement in Siberia.

Life-Saving Mission

Kara-Murza’s release was part of a historic prisoner swap brokered by the United States. He describes the exchange not as a swap but as a “life-saving mission,” considering his grave health condition and the imminent danger he faced in prison.

Brutal Treatment

For 23-and-a-half hours each day, Kara-Murza was confined to a tiny cell as punishment for speaking out against Russia’s war in Ukraine. He spent his time talking to walls, forgetting words and names, and struggling to distinguish between reality and imagination.

Prisoner Swap

The prisoner swap included the release of Kara-Murza and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was falsely accused of espionage. In exchange, Russia received eight prisoners, including a convicted hitman.

Psychological Torture

Kara-Murza’s solitary confinement was not only physically challenging but also psychologically tormenting. Prison guards punished him for minor infractions, tricked him into breaking rules, and denied him contact with the outside world.

In one instance, he was punished for failing to get up at 6am, even though guards had turned off the alarm and prisoners were not allowed clocks. In another case, he was transferred to a more restrictive prison for allegedly violating rules that he was unable to follow due to a lack of information.

Endurance and Survival

Despite the relentless psychological torture, Kara-Murza credits his survival to his faith, his determination to learn Spanish, and his wife’s unwavering efforts to secure his release. He also held onto the belief that a peaceful Russia without Putin would one day emerge.

Kara-Murza emphasized that he wrote the date of his sentence, 21 April 2047, every day as a constant reminder of his predicament. However, even in the darkest moments, he told himself, “I know I am right.”