Yekaterinburg political prisoner Yaroslav Shirshikov, who is serving a five-year prison sentence on charges of justifying terrorism, has said he does not want to take part in a possible exchange of Russian political prisoners for sanctions relief.
His support group published a letter from him on October 24.
Shirshikov was responding to an initiative by Dmitry Muratov, the former editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who proposed seeking the release of Russian political prisoners through international negotiations.
In September, Muratov approached US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about the issue. Public discussions of the initiative included the possibility of linking prisoners' release to the easing of certain sanctions.
In his letter, Shirshikov expressed gratitude for efforts to free people imprisoned in politically motivated cases. However, he said he did not want to be part of an agreement that could give Russian authorities political or economic advantages.
In his view, the Russian state bears responsibility for his prosecution and the consequences for his family. He considers it unacceptable for the authorities to benefit from ending a situation he attributes to their own actions.
The main points of the letter and the background to the initiative were described in a report by Current Time.
Shirshikov's public statement does not, however, establish that he has personally received an official offer to be included in a prisoner exchange.
The available materials contain no evidence that his name is already on an agreed exchange list or that Russian and US representatives have reached an agreement on the terms of such an exchange.
Shirshikov was convicted in a case arising from a publication concerning the death of Russian pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky. A Russian court classified his statement as justification of terrorism.
Human rights organizations and independent media have covered Shirshikov's case in the context of prosecutions over public expression. His latest letter addresses the debate over possible mechanisms for securing the release of Russian political prisoners.
Shirshikov's statement represents his personal position on one proposed route to release. It should not be interpreted as a rejection of freedom in general or as evidence that a specific exchange involving him has been agreed.