Dissident Yashin launches party to unite Russian exiles

Russian opposition politician Ilya Yashin has founded a political party in Berlin that aims to become a rallying point for Russia’s fragmented opposition in exile.

The organization was officially launched at a founding congress and named Peaceful Russia, Yashin said in a statement on social media on Monday.

The party said it was trying to represent “Russia’s interests” in contrast to the policies pursued by President Vladimir Putin.

“By these interests we mean the withdrawal of troops from Ukraine and the rejection of imperialism, the guarantee of human rights and freedoms and the establishment of a just social order,” the statement said. The statement was included.

Yashin was elected president of Peaceful Russia.

Olga Podolskaya, a former regional deputy of Russia’s Tula region, was elected as vice president.

Yashin was imprisoned in Russia but was released in 2024 as part of a major prisoner exchange between Russia and the United States.

Russia’s exiled opposition struggles with their inability to influence political developments at home.

Despite efforts to form a united front against Putin, it remains divided by personal and political rivalries.

Among the guests of the party congress were Leonid Volkov from the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), founded by the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in prison in 2024, and Marat Gelman from the Russian Anti-War Committee.

Another platform that brings together exiled Russian opposition members is the dialogue initiative established by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Russian human rights group Memorial, which is banned in Russia, continues its rights advocacy and education activities abroad.