Garry Kasparov: I Won't Stop
- 1.10.2026, 9:11
- 3,000
The opposition figure will continue to do everything in his power to rally the free world in the fight against Putin's dictatorship.
Russian opposition figure and world chess champion Garry Kasparov responded to reports that Russian authorities were plotting an assassination attempt against him:
— For more than two decades now—ever since I left chess to speak out against Putin’s growing dictatorship—people have been asking me, “Aren’t you worried about your safety?” After my friend and fellow opposition activist Boris Nemtsov was cold-bloodedly murdered outside the Kremlin on February 27, 2015, such questions became even more frequent.
I’ve always tried to avoid this unpleasant topic, brushing it off with stock phrases during presentations of my book *Winter Is Coming*: “Will worrying help?”; “I don’t fly Aeroflot or drink tea with strangers”; “I decided long ago to do what I believe is right.”
The Kremlin has a longstanding “penchant” for eliminating its critics and enemies abroad. This year, Moscow has stepped up its covert operations and sabotage activities throughout Europe. So today’s news that I and my longtime colleague, Ivan Tyutrin , co-founder of the “Free Russia Forum” , are on a hit list came as no surprise to me—but it’s still a shock.
Neither I nor Ivan were explicitly told that we are the very people whose names are concealed in the indictment against the perpetrators of the assassination attempt. However, the Lithuanian and U.S. intelligence agencies informed us that our lives are in danger and that we should take precautions; I have done so and will continue to do so.
But I will not stop, nor will I go into hiding—even if that were possible. Neither I nor my family will be safe as long as Putin remains in power in Russia—and this applies to millions of people. Therefore, I will continue to do everything possible to unite the free world in the fight against Putin’s bloody dictatorship, in particular by seeking increased military and economic support for Ukraine and advocating for tough measures against Russia.
Incidentally, I am writing these lines from Strasbourg, where we are making every effort to put pressure on the regime through the European Court of Human Rights. It is extremely important to establish legal mechanisms to unfreeze frozen Russian assets—first and foremost in Belgium—and we greatly appreciate the leading role played in this matter by PACE President Petra Bair. We expect new developments on this topic tomorrow.
I would like to thank everyone who is joining this initiative, as well as those who have offered words of support following the emergence of this extremely unpleasant news.
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