Icelandic Putinism

Written by: Diana Burkot and Nadya Tolokonnikova

An unspeakable act of terror has been committed here — so inhumane that it has no justification. Not somewhere far away, not in Russia, but here in Iceland.

Western media often ask us the same question: “Why do so few Russians speak out against Putin?”

This is the reason — because the moment they do, they are left alone and abandoned, stripped of all hope of ever living a life marked by safety and human dignity.

They live in constant fear of being sent back home — to be convicted of treason, to be imprisoned for the rest of their lives.

This is why so many choose silence. Not because they agree, but because they know the terror regime firsthand.

In a world torn apart by unrestrained dictators and fear, solidarity is the last weapon powerful enough to help rebuild it.

Gadzhi Gadzhiev and his wife, Mariiam Taimova, fled that same regime described above, along with their son, seeking refuge here in Iceland. After a high-risk pregnancy and serious health complications, she gave birth to twins here in Iceland via a difficult Caesarean section. Only two weeks later, these newborn twins and their two-year-old brother were deported to Croatia — a country condemned by Amnesty International and others for accepting only 0.3% of Russian asylum seekers while deporting the rest — together with their parents.

Gadzhi’s closest family — his mother, sister, and brother — have been granted permanent residence in Iceland on the very same grounds of political persecution that he himself faces. Despite this, Icelandic authorities decided to deport him, separating the family and their support network.

All they longed for was to be reunited with their family and to live in safety.

Gadzhi was born into a family that dared to tell the truth — his mother publicly criticized Putin’s regime, calling it what it is: a terrorist system built on lies and fear. For this, they all became targets. They fled to Iceland — carrying nothing but the hope of safety.

In Russia, Gadzhi was kidnapped, tortured, and sentenced to five years in prison. His only “crime” was being the son of a woman who dared to speak out against tyranny — and for having had the courage to do the same himself.

It’s difficult for us to imagine what Gadzhi’s family has gone through, even though we know well what’s happening in Russia. We can only just imagine it, we have both had more than enough experience with police stations, interrogations, and political persecution. (Nadezhda Tolokonnikova was convicted under Part 2, Article 213 of the Russian Criminal Code and was sentenced on August 17, 2012, to two years of imprisonment.)

We are political refugees and face long prison sentences in Russia — simply for writing a song. And we can hardly put into words the fear and despair that come with being hunted by Putin’s state.

But very well — we all know the nightmarish tyranny of Putin.

But what about Iceland? A democratic country that claims to defend freedom — perhaps not the freedom of all people, only of those it finds convenient to protect?

It is utterly incomprehensible that the Directorate of Immigration would deport people who face nothing less than torture and imprisonment.
How can this happen here?

How can Iceland — a country that prides itself on human rights, solidarity, and compassion — take part in Putin’s cruelty?

This family must be brought back home to Iceland. Because when a democracy sends refugees back into tyranny, it itself becomes part of that tyranny.

When did we decide that compassion — that simply being human — should depend on borders?

When the state turns away, when institutions treat political refugees in this way, they become part of the machinery of violence that people are fleeing from.

The easiest thing is to close our eyes and pretend this doesn’t exist — to live our own lives, in our own little world, and choose to ignore the injustice that costs people their lives.

We demand that the Icelandic government bring this family back — and revise its policy towards refugees and political exiles.

We appeal to the public to spread the word and tell your families, friends, colleagues, and everyone you know about the moral collapse that has taken place in this family’s case.

Use your voices, and guided by the power of collective action, we will bring the family back to Iceland.

The authors are political refugees from Russia and members of Pussy Riot.

Diana Burkot and Nadya Tolokonnikova