The state of health of Russian rival Kara-Mourza is worrying, according to his wife

The wife of Vladimir Kara-Mourza expressed her deep concern for the state of health of the Russian rival, the victim of a “freak act of revenge” by the Kremlin.

“I’m obviously worried,” Evgenia Kara-Mourza said in an interview with AFP, “that his health is failing.”

Her husband had serious health problems even before he was taken into custody, suffering from a nerve condition called polyneuropathy, which he says was caused by two poisoning attempts in 2015 and 2017.

Evgeniya Kara-Mourza is sure the situation will get worse with her husband’s 25-year prison sentence in mid-April.

Vladimir Kara-Mourza, 41, has appealed his felony treason conviction, but his wife “definitely” expects it to be overturned.

and even though her husband’s state of health would normally exempt her from imprisonment, “it doesn’t matter to the Russian authorities”.

– Means to kill –

Speaking to AFP on the sidelines of the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy, Evgenia Kara-Mourza condemned the “pure and cynical retaliation by the Russian government”.

“The regime clearly sees my husband as its personal enemy,” she said, referring to the two poisonings that were intended “to threaten, not kill”.

Despite the threats, her husband did not hesitate to return to Russia and she claimed to support his decision. “Of course it scares me for his life,” she said, her dark eyes filling with tears, pointing out that “Vladimir and I have been carefully building our little world, our children, our family, for years.” Are.”

“But I know what he’s fighting for,” she said, welcoming the fact that “through all these risks, through all the attacks” he remained “true to himself”.

“If I accepted him as he was 20 years ago, it would be quite hypocritical of me to ask him to change now. It would not be Vladimir.”

“The only option for me is to stand by him, fight with him and fight for him.”

– Cracks

She admits the situation is “excruciatingly painful” for the couple’s three children, but Vladimir Kara-Mourza “somehow manages to remain a good father to them, even behind bars”. .

“He teaches them a very valuable lesson: that they must face those who persecute them with courage, that they must never give up without a fight, that they must accept the risks, recognize and Gotta keep fighting.”

Asked if he thought others would dare to follow his example, he recalled that “20,000 people have been arbitrarily detained” since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year. did.

That so many people dared to protest at a time when “the regime is using the full arsenal of Soviet-style repressive techniques against anti-war protesters” means that “there are probably millions of people who are against the regime , but who are afraid to speak”.

In Soviet times, “massive protests were only possible when the regime began to crack,” he said, expressing his belief that “it will happen … when Putin’s regime begins to crack.”

Whilst this may happen, she suggested that “a clear victory for Ukraine after more than two decades of emancipation from the Vladimir Putin regime … will finally send a signal to the Kremlin that it is not committed and will achieve more”. ” such offences’.