"We need to fight for everyone - peacefully, persistently and with love"

An interview with the defendant of "Moscow business" Alexei Minyailo. The court freed him from custody and closed his case

On September 26, the defendant of the Moscow Affairs, the entrepreneur and civil activist Alexei Minyilo, who was accused of participating in the riots, was released from custody, criminal against him was discontinued. During the elections to the Moscow City Duma, Minyilo was a volunteer at the headquarters of the opposition candidate Lyubov Sobol. Freeing him, the judge noted that there are no signs of mass riots in the case file. The very case of the riots has not yet been discontinued, but Minyailo was the only accused under this article that remained in the pre -trial detention center. Immediately after the release, he went to the presidential administration, where single pickets were held in support of other defendants in Moscow Affairs, and gave an interview with Medusa from the queue for a picket.

"Under the arrest, I was freeder than workers of the pre -trial detention center"

“Before the judge went to the decision today, you turned to him and said that" a person can be free even in a concentration camp. " Why?

- I said so, because I really think that a person can be free everywhere. I understood this very well in custody. I was under arrest, but I was freer than some workers of the pre -trial detention center. Because there are people who act according to the rules with whom they are internally disagree. This is a common practice in the judicial system. I believe that I am freer than them, because I can critically perceive reality and act contrary to circumstances and danger. The philosophers Viktor Frankl and Erich Fromm wrote a lot about this.

In the pre -trial detention center, I felt that despite the fact that I was enclosed in four walls, there is freedom in my heart and it does not go anywhere. Yes, I can’t go to Starbax, but I, while in prison, think that I am in my place and I can protect someone there. For example, instead of me, a man who would not be ready for this could get there. To accept the fact that you are in prison is not in vain is also an act of freedom. You can desperately and curse the fate that life is broken, but I began to write a book in prison, wrote two trainings and more than a hundred letters to people for freedom. They wrote people who were at large to me that they were desperate, and I tried to encourage them from prison. All these are manifestations of freedom.

I turned with such words to the judge and because I believe: a person is capable of an act of heroism. I don’t know, the judge’s decision was an act of heroism or something else, but I certainly believe that a person with any reputation is capable of him. I am appealing to the better in people. If you believe in the worst, then you lost in advance.

- When you were brought into the hall, did you believe that you will be released?

- When he went into the courtroom, he was sure that he would be sent for another three months. But when the prosecutor said that he did not see the grounds for leaving in custody, my jaw did not fall off. At that moment, I perked up, and believed that I could fall under house arrest or even go free.

- Why were you released?

- I am sure that this is the victory of civil society. The victory of people who took all the legal steps to free the defendants in our business. All those who stood in single pickets, those who went to rallies, those who signed open letters and everything else. My liberation is the fruit of the efforts of these people.

- Did you follow this public support?

- I received the press, they wrote to me in letters about it. I missed a lot of things and learn a lot now, but in general I followed. I felt this support every second.

- You were also massively supported by priests.

- These are beautiful and bold people who do what the priests have always done with conscience. They always defended those who cannot protect themselves and were in trouble. For two years I was an altar, so this is in a sense the workshop solidarity. Of course, I am pleased that mine, in a sense, fell out. Although the Russian Orthodox Church is not accepted at all to join political prisoners.

- Before the start of the public campaign, did you internally prepare yourself for the fact that everything could end with a serious period?

- I was ready from the very beginning. Of course, you can’t be ready to be completely prepared for this, but in part I was ready that they would give me 2-3 years. Freedom also manifests itself in the fact that you do what you consider correct, despite the danger. For example, the danger of imprisonment. It is clear that assistance to opposition candidates can meet opposition. I think that the situation that happened to me did not occur because of the rally, but because I at some point hit the radars. At some point, I realized that the danger was real, but I decided that I would obey not fear, but love. A person has a simple election - you are guided by fear and live an empty life, or guided by love and try to fulfill your purpose.

- At the same time, you didn’t get to the rally on July 27, right?

- Yes, I did not reach the action. I was taken near the crossing through Tsvetnoy Boulevard. I did not have time to join the action.

"When they broke into me with a search, my knees trembled."

- Why was the campaign in the Moscow City Duma so important for you?

- I was sure that it would be a dull and boring campaign in the Moscow City Duma, as is usually the case. But when the Federmeser put forward Nyuta against Lyubov, I was very upset - because I know Nyutu as a good person. And she agreed to participate in a not very honest game. This very upset me, and I thought that I would cease to respect myself if I would not help Luba.

I began to help her and other candidates. And two candidates - Dasha Besedina and Mikhail Timonov - won and went to the Duma. I feel involvement in this.

- How do you assess the results of the elections in general?

- I think that for civil society this is an undoubted victory. United Russia lost mandates, despite the fact that they removed many candidates.

- But the mandates went to random people or the Communists.

-There were very few truly independent candidates, but the fact that Eskro rolled was already good. In addition, during this campaign, many good practices were tested in the preparation and organization of headquarters that I am systematizing in the near future. This will be free of charge for democratic candidates throughout Russia.

-You say that you were preparing yourself for the fact that there may be problems because of your activity in the campaign. Wasn't you scared after the detention?

- Very scary. When they broke into me with a search at 4 a.m., my knees trembled. This is a normal human reaction - they are not afraid of psycho, and bold people overcome fear. I was scared, and then stopped. Fear was waves. All the week before the release, I was nervous and worried whether the arrest would extend and so on. But you just continue to do what you should.

- You stayed under arrest for almost two months. What is Russian pre -trial detention center?

- I was pleasantly surprised how many good people were in a pre -trial detention center. The small special block of "sailor silence" can be released in full force. Even if there are any real criminals there, the number of innocent people issued with more than pays for them. I met many people there, with whom, I hope, we will continue to communicate in the wild when they are also released.

He was pleasantly surprised by how correct and friendly employees who do everything according to law and with human attitude. Sometimes even with a touching attitude - for example, one employee during an evening detour wished the prisoners of good night. It is humanly very nice. Indeed, usually in our system they relate to the accused, as criminals and villains. And there many had no such attitude. A good attitude is especially important there. According to Exupery "Tenderness in Prison - Great Tenderness."

- During the campaign, you announced a hunger strike along with love Sobol when it was not registered as a candidate. You kept her in a pre -trial detention center. How does the hunger strike differ from a hunger strike at large?

- In the insulator, I kept a hunger strike for so long - about a week and a half. There, a hunger strike is different in that I had no tablets that restore the water-salt balance so as not to die. It is distinguished by the quality of medical care. The rest of the differences is slight. As in the will, you change the world, and in a pre -trial detention center.

- Why did you decide to stop the hunger strike?

- Because there was already a real danger of negative consequences, and it would be impossible to obtain medical care. Therefore, after 31 days of the hunger strike, I decided to stop it.

- Is the meaning of the hunger strike not that this is a threat of real consequences?

- I do not have a clear intellectual and ethically verified answer. At that moment, I thought that I was more necessary for alive than dead.

"The chances of recapture everyone is small"

-Is it possible to say that the Russian government still reacts to public protests, taking into account the fact that the defendants in the “Moscow business” are really released?

- All groups of support and activists, of course, assume to officials and they have to perceive it. They may not all want to do this, but they have to react, because otherwise the valve can disrupt and something will not go according to plan.

-Will you somehow help other defendants in affairs due to protests?

- Yes. Now I am standing in line for a single picket with the presidential administration. There are 30 people here. I have certain thoughts how I can help, but first I will discuss them with other activists.

- You were the last arrested defendant, to whom only participation in the riots was charged. It seems that the case is finally falling apart. What do you think will happen to him further?

- Honestly - I don't know. From my view, it seems that now, unlike the “swamp business”, public activity is much higher, and therefore so many people managed to recapture. But from the pre-trial detention center it was difficult for me to analyze the situation, and I do not want to say some obvious stupidity. The chances of recapture everyone are small, but you need to beat until the end for everyone - peacefully, persistently and with love.

- What are the main conclusions for yourself from this whole story? For example, some of the victims of summer protests want to leave the country.

- I'm not going to leave anywhere. I love Russia, I am a patriot. Maybe it sounds somehow stupid, but I do not see my life without Russia. Previously, I have the main conclusion - I was engaged in charity and volunteer activities a lot, but relatively little politics and elections. Now I will do more and everything that is associated with human rights and civil activism. You know, until the rooster pecks.

A lot of people wrote to me in a pre -trial detention center and many people similar to me, I saw the same reaction - a kind of disorder and despair from how much injustice occurs. I have during the time that I am engaged in civic activity, my heart is somewhat coarse. And, probably, what happened to me is a saving injection so that I perceive everything with all the acuteness. So that I do not hide and not fenced off from this. So that I am more active and fiercely fighting for those who need protection. So that there is less injustice.

Pavel Merzlikin