'You start speaking to walls'
The Independent|September 20, 2024
Vladimir Kara-Murza, who openly opposes the Putin regime and was imprisoned in Siberia, gives his first interview on British soil since being released. Tom Watling speaks to him
Tom Watling
'You start speaking to walls'

A British-Russian dissident and opponent of Vladimir Putin, freed in the most high-profile prison swap since the end of the Cold War, has described the brutal treatment he suffered during 11 months of solitary confinement in Siberia.

Vladimir Kara-Murza spent 23-and-a-half hours a day in a tiny cell as part of his 25-year sentence for speaking out against Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. The 43-year-old, who served two-and-a-half years of his total sentence before being released in August, spoke of talking to walls and willing away the days “no longer understanding what’s real and what’s imaginary”.

In an exclusive interview with The Independent hours after touching down in Britain for the first time since the USbrokered prison deal with the Kremlin, the Cambridge-educated activist relived his horrifying experience in unflinching detail.

Kara-Murza said the exchange was not merely a swap but a “lifesaving mission”. The death in prison in February of fellow dissident Alexei Navalny, which he described as a Kremlinorchestrated murder, underscored the danger he was in.

“Mentally, psychologically, emotionally, just to be locked up in a cupboard day after day, week after week, month after month, without as much as saying hello to anybody, it’s really, really not easy,” he said at a hotel near the House of Commons.

“After about two or three weeks, your mind really starts playing tricks on you. You start forgetting words. You start forgetting names. You start speaking to walls. You stop understanding what’s real and what’s imaginary.”

Kara-Murza was arrested in Moscow in April 2022 – two months after Mr Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine – for giving speeches around the world about the war crimes Russia’s forces were committing against civilians.

This story is from the September 20, 2024 edition of The Independent.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the September 20, 2024 edition of The Independent.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE INDEPENDENTView All
Courageous Brighton rock Man City to reach top four
The Independent

Courageous Brighton rock Man City to reach top four

Brighton staged a sensational late fightback to come from behind and send Manchester City to a fourth consecutive defeat with a pulsating 2-1 win at the Amex Stadium.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 10, 2024
Doubt creeps in as England.stung at the death again
The Independent

Doubt creeps in as England.stung at the death again

Another week, another heartbreak for England and now serious questions must be asked about the direction of the Steve Borthwick project.

time-read
4 mins  |
November 10, 2024
'Guys on mopeds were beating up an Israeli... they were looking for Jews'
The Independent

'Guys on mopeds were beating up an Israeli... they were looking for Jews'

Football hooligans and ‘antisemitic hit-and-run squads' made for a volatile Amsterdam atmosphere, reports Barney Davis.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 10, 2024
Inside 4B - the women's group going on ‘men strike'
The Independent

Inside 4B - the women's group going on ‘men strike'

Zoë Beaty meets an American who's become a symbol for the growing movement of females rejecting relations with men

time-read
6 mins  |
November 10, 2024
Qatar to suspend mediation efforts on Gaza, say officials
The Independent

Qatar to suspend mediation efforts on Gaza, say officials

Qatar has decided to suspend its key mediation efforts between Hamas and Israel, officials said yesterday, after growing frustration with the lack of progress on a ceasefire deal for Gaza.

time-read
4 mins  |
November 10, 2024
Biden bears brunt of blame game among the Democrats
The Independent

Biden bears brunt of blame game among the Democrats

Fingers are pointing at the president after Donald Trump's sweeping victory - but some strategists argue other factors played a part in Kamala Harris's defeat, writes

time-read
7 mins  |
November 10, 2024
Chief of staff dubbed ice maiden by Trump will keep 'clowns' out of Oval Office
The Independent

Chief of staff dubbed ice maiden by Trump will keep 'clowns' out of Oval Office

Informal advisers that dogged first presidency to be got rid of

time-read
3 mins  |
November 10, 2024
Coroner's warning of cancel culture after student suicide
The Independent

Coroner's warning of cancel culture after student suicide

A coroner has called on the government to examine the prevalence of \"cancel culture\" on university campuses, after ruling that a 20-year-old Oxford student took his own life after being \"ostracised\" by his peers.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 10, 2024
'I did not know you could be born without a uterus'
The Independent

'I did not know you could be born without a uterus'

Andreia Trigo is dedicated to helping others struggling with infertility because of her own diagnosis of MRKH syndrome

time-read
3 mins  |
November 10, 2024
Healey says Ukraine war inspired son to join army
The Independent

Healey says Ukraine war inspired son to join army

The defence secretary has revealed his son joined the army as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying the conflict is now “personal”.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 10, 2024