An open letter to British PM Boris Johnson: a modest proposal of a prisoner exchange

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Dear Sir:

I assume that even in these very eventful days you had the time to remark the prisoner exchange newly agreed between the Ukrainian and Russian authorities.  If these mortal enemies were able to summon up the courage and humane feelings required to do the right thing on behalf of their own and the enemy’s soldiers, what I am about to propose to you will be both less onerous for you and far more rewarding for humanity in general than what is transpiring in the Ukrainian-Russian exchange.

My suggestion to you is to offer to exchange Julian Assange for Alexei Navalny. Such an exchange would support your political views, win you new supporters at home and abroad and add a dollop of humanity to our war crazed world. In Europe, in the Americas you alone have within your grasp a political prisoner of the international renown sufficient to entice the Kremlin to agree to part with Mr. Navalny.

You are by far the leading warrior in Europe against the “Putin regime.”  For years now you have fought by all means fair and foul to achieve regime change and remove Vladimir Putin from power.  I am appealing to your better side to act fairly in pursuit of your political objectives.

By achieving the release of Navalny, you will give hope to those who support his cause inside and outside of Russia.  The simultaneous release of Assange will remove from the U.K. a source of embarrassment and an unnecessary headache.  Let him enjoy his freedom on Red Square and share a cappuccino with Edward Snowde n.

Putting aside for a moment your self-interest in following my recommendation, your noble act will save two tortured souls from serving out years of imprisonment that are vastly disproportionate to their alleged misdeeds.  It is high time to relegate Iron Mask justice to its historic place in the distant past and to show humane mercy that corresponds to our occasionally enlightened age.

Respectfully,

Gilbert Doctorow

P.S. – I urge all readers who share my thinking on this issue to petition Mr. Johnson in their own name directly.

Published by gilbertdoctorow

Gilbert Doctorow is an independent political analyst based in Brussels. He chose this third career of 'public intellectual' after finishing up a 25 year career as corporate executive and outside consultant to multinational corporations doing business in Russia and Eastern Europe which culminated in the position of Managing Director, Russia during the years 1995-2000. He has publishied his memoirs of his 25 years of doing business in and around the Soviet Union/Russia, 1975 - 2000. Memoirs of a Russianist, Volume I: From the Ground Up was published on 10 November 2020. Volume II: Russia in the Roaring 1990s was released in February 2021. A Russian language edition in a single 780 page volume was published by Liki Rossii in St Petersburg in November 2021: Россия в бурные 1990е: Дневники, воспоминания, документы.

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11 thoughts on “An open letter to British PM Boris Johnson: a modest proposal of a prisoner exchange”

  2. They want Navalny in prison. Keeping him going was too expensive and it would have taken another 10 years of Russian tolerance for him to have any concrete effect in Russia. Whereas in terms of blackening Russia’s name in the western media, Navalny is better in prison than free (they can’t poison him again).

    Besides unlike Assange who would have lots of useful things to say, Navalny has been free to be interviewed by the media all the time.

    Besides – it isn’t Boris’s decision – you’d have to make the offer to those that manage Biden.

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  4. Whilst I appreciate the sentiment Johnson wouldn’t dare undercut the Americans, he’s a silly big baby who rolls over for tummy tickles from Washington.

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  6. Olá Gilbert,
    Em 20 de março, li a noticia de que Boris babe Johnson oferece asilo à Zelensky, deixei um comentario, na RT en español no telegram,sugerindo à Putin de trocarmos Zelensky pela
    libertação de Julian Assange.
    Te parabenizo pela iniciativa,
    realmente é necessária a libertação de Assange, me preocupa que ele já possa estar sob tortura com radiação eletromagnética onde está detido.
    Vitima de uma farsa processual que serviu para justificar o seu sequestro e prissão,perante a opinião pública. Trata-se de uma vingança coordenada por estadunidenses.

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  9. I don’t think that one should use the name of Assange in one sentence with the name of this filth Navalny. Navalny deserves to rot in prison. They will not let Assange free unless – maybe – they get Wladimir Putin in exchange.

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  11. I’m not sure Assange would agree to go. He is no man’s puppet, and he would not want to give extra leverage to those who smear both himself and Wikileaks as Putin puppets.

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