“It is already an established fact that under real pressure, ‘Dream’ retreats,” wrote Elene Khoshtaria, the imprisoned leader of the opposition party Droa (It’s Time), on social media.
“While I do not yet wish to draw far-reaching conclusions from some of the recent actions of ‘Russian Dream,’ I would like to emphasize two points:
- It is an established fact that under real pressure—both within the country and abroad—’Dream’ retreats. Let us fully realize this fact. Every citizen who has fought for so long should value their own labor. It is precisely thanks to your persistence and actions that ‘Dream’ is forced to retreat. There is no external pressure without internal resistance. Every time we ask, ‘What is the point?!’, let us remember the specific sanctioned propagandists complaining about money, as well as the expression on Kobakhidze’s face when he stood next to Zelenskyy.
- The retreat of ‘Dream,’ whether now or later, will present us with a serious challenge—will we be satisfied with the very first step back? Will we limit ourselves to correcting only one of the many injustices they have accumulated? Will we deceive ourselves by accepting decorative concessions as real ones? This is unacceptable, because ‘Dream’ will simply start a new cycle, and defeat will become inevitable.
Therefore, let us appreciate that the struggle brings results, that we are capable of more than we sometimes think, and let us not lose patience. Until the end!” — reads Khoshtaria’s letter.
