Russian opposition convenes in Berlin, signs joint declaration of political goals. Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation abstains.

Members of Russia’s political opposition convened in Berlin, signing a joint “Declaration of Russia’s Democratic Forces.”

The declaration, published in the form of a petition on Change.org, outlines the changes that the coalition would like to see happen in Russia’s internal political order, without mentioning the specifics of who should be responsible for realizing that vision, and by what methods. The document includes the following language:

• “The Russian troops must be removed from all occupied territories.”
• “Putin’s regime is illegitimate and criminal. Therefore, it must be liquidated.”
• “Political prisoners and prisoners of war must be freed; forcibly deported persons must get an opportunity to return; abducted Ukrainian children should be returned to Ukraine.”

The declaration’s signatories commit to abstaining from conflict amidst themselves until their “joint strategic goals are achieved.”

By 6:30 p.m. Moscow time on Monday, May 1, the declaration had been signed by over 7,000 people, including Mikhail Khodorkovsky and a number of other public figures.

The conspicuous absence of signatures from Alexey Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation has sparked speculation about the reasons why the foundation’s chairwoman Maria Pevchikh and other Team Navalny members withheld their signatures.