On Dec. 8, 2025, I walked out of a courthouse in St. Petersburg after spending almost five months in pre-trial detention. The court gave me a fine rather than a prison sentence. That same morning, I was still in custody. I had been accused of financing extremist activity over donations of around $40 to Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation.

The first thing I did was go with my closest relatives and lawyers to a nearby café. We discussed the most practical things: how to pay the fine, how to collect my belongings from the detention centre, what would happen if the prosecution appealed. The lawyers explained that the prosecution could file its appeal on the final day of the statutory deadline. Until then, I was still forbidden to leave the area and, if there was an appeal, the restrictions could remain in place until the city court issued its decision.

I thought I was finally going home. I wanted to see my wife, hug my children, lie down in a normal bed. I had imagined that evening many times during my months of detention.

But on the way home, my family told me that I could not stay in Russia. They believed the prosecution would almost certainly seek an actual prison sentence. It turned out that there were already people ready to organise my departure. At first, I understood that to mean I had at least a day or two. Then everything sped up. We managed to pick the children up from school and have lunch when the coordinator told me that I needed to leave as quickly as possible.

About half an hour later, it became clear that the driver was already ready.

At that moment, my parents called me. Then my older son, who was in Georgia. Everyone congratulated me on my release, told me to relax and finally enjoy some time with my family. I could not tell them that in a few hours I would be leaving again. The fewer people who knew the route, the safer it seemed.

My younger son sat beside me, listened to those conversations and cried. He already knew that I would be leaving in a couple of hours.

I was asked whether I understood that, by leaving now, I might never be able to return to Russia. I said yes.

I very much wanted to stay. More than anything, I wanted to........

© The Moscow Times