Climate Activist Makichyan: Pressure Gets Harder Every Day, But We Also Get Stronger
* Photos: Arshak Makichyan/Twitter
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Against all odds, climate activist Arshak Makichyan has been striking for climate in Russia for more than 40 weeks now. When we interviewed him last year in August, he told us about the difficulties he had been facing and said he would not give up. Just as he said, Arshak did not give up and went on with his solo strikes, but at the same time, he kept sending applications for group strikes. Thereupon, last month he was arrested and imprisoned for 6 days. Right after he was out, we asked him another set of questions.
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Despite all the obstacles put on your way, you have been striking for climate in Russia for more than 40 consecutive weeks now. Can you tell us about how the trouble began and developed?
Trouble begins to develop in the first week if you start any protest in Russia. I wasn't arrested earlier, because I have a lot of international support. In that particular case, I was arrested for a 3-people strike on October 25. It was the tenth time we've sent an application and the local government illegally refused us, but we decided to strike anyway.
We were detained after 15 minutes of striking, then (5 hours later) they released us and said that they would call later about the trial.
After that, I had my train to Madrid on November 26 and they called me a week before that and said, that I have a trial on November 28. I found a lawyer and was represented on the trial, but the judge had decided to postpone the trial on December 20, the day when I would be back in Moscow. Because they couldn't arrest me without my presence on the trial.
And after quite a difficult journey, I was arrested. It was strange because I was thinking that they would just fine me. It was stupid to arrest me for 6 days for a peaceful 15-minute strike.
'I have no other choice'
What were you exactly charged with?
Organizing unauthorized protest.
How did your family and friends feel about the situation? Were they supportive? What did they say when you went on with your strikes right after you got out of jail?
They are supportive, but they are afraid... and I'm afraid. It's really scary when the government can do anything with you. But I don't have a choice, because it's very important to strike in Russia for the climate.
How did you get along with other prisoners? Did you discuss the climate crisis with them, too?
It was fine. They were quite supportive. People are starting to be angry at the government and they support any protest. Yes, I was discussing the climate with everyone: police, prisoners...
It is quite a difficult thing for them, but everyone sees that something is wrong with the climate. It was the warmest winter in Moscow maybe for the last 100 years...
'More people now know about climate strike'
We know you're vegan. Wasn't it difficult for you to stick with your vegan diet in prison?
It was just for 6 days. And my friends/family were sending me some vegan food there. So it was OK.
You had enormous international support all along this experience. Did it help improve your living conditions in prison? Did it help people in Russia to take you and the climate crisis more seriously?
It helps emotionally when you are in prison and you know that you have a lot of support. And I wasn't tortured or anything really bad didn't happen to me. And yes, it helps. When people see that someone is not "afraid" to be arrested for a climate topic, they start to take it seriously, I hope.
Have you received any support from the public and the press in Russia?
Yes, there are some independent media in Russia, they've written about that. And it's good, that more people have known, that there is a climate strike in Russia.
When you look back, what do you regard as the greatest injustice you have met with?
There is no greatest injustice. There are a lot of small and stupid injustices and they are annoying.
How will your imprisonment affect your future actions? Do you think the pressure you've faced can get harder in the future?
It's harder with every day and week. And I hope that we are getting stronger by the hour. The most horrible thing is that some of your friends start to behave strangely. They think that it's cool to be famous, or I don't know what they think. But sometimes your friends can hurt you more than the police.
'Our government is very unpredictable'
How are the other climate activists doing in Russia? Do you think climate activism in your country will continue to grow, or will people be intimidated by the pressure you've been facing?
I hope that it will grow. But it's quite difficult to predict anything. It depends on the activists.
Do you think that there will happen a change in the government's approach to climate activists in Russia?
Our government is very unpredictable.
Do you take measures against the possibility of being charged again?
For the next administrative violation within a year, I can be jailed for a few years and in a criminal prison. If the government wants to arrest me, they will. I'm going to continue my strikes. (DÇ/SD)