The convicted Russian oppositionist called on Petr Pavel not to help the President of the Russian Federation convince Russians that "Europe is the enemy and its leaders are Russophobes."
Russian opposition politician Ilya Yashin has written an open letter to Czech President Petr Pavel. In the letter, published on Monday, June 26, in a Telegram channel, the oppositionist commented on Pavel's remarks regarding the need for "close attention from intelligence agencies" towards Russians living in the West, as citizens of a country at war with a neighboring state.
Yashin, who has been sentenced to 8.5 years in a penal colony, shared that he often debates the situation in Russia with his fellow inmates, trying to explain to them that "Russia can be different." He also provides various historical examples, including the Czech Republic and its former president, Vaclav Havel. According to the politician, who was convicted in a case involving "fakes" about the Russian army, Russians are not "doomed to dictatorship," and European values "correspond to the interests of the Russian people." "Imagine this. During such a discussion, you, Mr. President, appear on the TV screen. Kremlin propaganda savors your words about how all Russians living in Western countries should be tightly controlled by local intelligence agencies. You refer to the experience of the United States during World War II, where 120,000 people of Japanese descent were interned, and you call it 'just the price of war'. My fellow inmates listen attentively to your speech. One of them asks me, 'Is this your Havel?' 'No,' I clarify. 'This is Petr Pavel.' 'It doesn't matter, Havel or Pavel,' another says. 'But Putin is right in explaining that for the West, we are all second-rate people. Both you and me. It doesn't matter.'" Yashin emphasizes that all people, in his firm belief, are "equal and deserve fair treatment," and "each person should be judged by their actions, not 'by association.'" He concludes by urging Petr Pavel not to help Putin convince Russians that "Europe is the enemy and its leaders are Russophobes." He implores him to be fair to his people and emphasizes, "Believe me, we are not a country of killers."
Czech President Petr Pavel, who previously held positions as the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee and Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, stated in an interview with "Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty" published on June 15 that intelligence agencies should "closely monitor" Russian citizens living abroad. He drew a parallel with World War II and mentioned the internment of Japanese people in the United States, where tens of thousands were relocated to "military relocation centers" from the West Coast.
A day after the interview was published, the spokesperson for the Czech President, Marketta Rzehakova, provided an explanation of the Czech leader's words. She stated that the head of state "in no way meant internment or any persecution" of Russian citizens. According to Rzehakova, Pavel's reference to the experience of the United States during World War II was made "in the context that restrictive measures against citizens of hostile countries are not something new and have been used in the past, although more severely." At the same time, Rzehakova noted that most Russian citizens support Russian President Vladimir Putin, aggression against Ukraine, and even strikes on civilian targets in the neighboring country. "Under these conditions, it would be a complete failure of our own security services and a threat to the security of our citizens if these services did not pay increased attention to the Russian community living in our country," said Pavel's spokesperson.

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