Ilya Yashin in Germany: My biggest wish is to return to Russia

Former municipal deputy Ilya Yashin (recognized by the Russian Ministry of Justice) announced his desire to return to Russia after arriving in Germany.

"I publicly requested not to be included in any exchange lists, I fought to the last for my right to remain in Russia. When I was taken to Moscow before the exchange, I wrote a statement saying that I did not give my consent to be deported from Russia. What happened to me was not an exchange, but an illegal expulsion from Russia against my will," Yashin said.

"What I want now most is to return to Russia, but if I return, I will set up other prisoners and may thus prevent their release. I will never accept the role of an emigrant, I will make every effort to return to Russia," he added.

"I entered Germany on an expired Russian passport. I do not have a single valid document, I was identified on the Internet. Local authorities promised that they would not deport or arrest us because of this," Ilya Yashin said.

Neither Kara-Murza nor Yashin asked for pardon

Politicians Vladimir Kara-Murza and Ilya Yashin (both recognized by the Ministry of Justice as foreign agents) did not ask for pardon, Kara-Murza said at a press conference in Germany following a large-scale prisoner exchange between Russia and Western countries.

According to Kara-Murza, no one asked for their consent to the exchange. They entered Germany using Russian domestic passports.

Yashin confirmed that and said that several days before the pardon, he refused to sign the prisoner exchange statement.

A large-scale prisoner exchange between Russia, the United States and several European countries took place on August 1. In addition to Yashin and Kara-Murza, Russia released journalists Evan Gershkovich and Alsa Kurmasheva (recognized as a foreign agent in Russia), former Marine Paul Whelan and other individuals. A total of 13 people participating in the prisoner exchange were pardoned.

Eight citizens returned to Russia as part of the exchange: Artem and Anna Dultsev, Ruslan Rubtsov, Vadim Konoshchenko, Mikhail Mikushin, Roman Seleznev, businessman Vladislav Klyushin, who was imprisoned in the United States, and intelligence officer Vadim Krasikov, who was serving a life sentence in Germany.