Russian dissident and ex‑prisoner Dadin dies fighting for Ukraine

The Russian opposition figure Ildar Dadin, known by the nickname "Gandhi," who fought on Ukraine's side, has died. His death was reported on the X platform by former "Echo of Moscow" journalist, Ksenia Larina. "Putin is personally responsible for the torture applied to me and other prisoners," Dadin wrote years ago in a letter from a penal colony.

In a conversation with the independent portal "Sota," former "Echo of Moscow" journalist, Ksenia Larina, stated that she learnt of Dadin's death from another war participant, former Vice President of Gazprombank, Igor Volobuiev. He referred to Dadin's comrade-in-arms, who was supposed to have perished on 5 October 2024.

Ildar Dadin, known primarily for his opposition activity against Vladimir Putin's regime, joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2023 to fight Russian aggression. He enlisted in the "Siberian Battalion" and, as he reported in an interview with Mediazona," fought under the pseudonym Gandhi."

Ildar Dadin became known as the first Russian convicted under a newly introduced article in the Russian criminal code from 2014, which concerned repeated violations of regulations regarding the organisation of assemblies. Article 212.1, colloquially known in Russia as the "Dadin Article," was created to intensify repression against the opposition. In December 2015, Dadin was sentenced to three years in a penal colony, but the sentence was later reduced to two and a half years.

His story gained particular notoriety when, in November 2016, Dadin revealed that he was tortured and beaten in the penal colony in Karelia, where he was serving his sentence. Other prisoners and their families confirmed this information. However, Russian penitentiary services and the Investigative Committee found no irregularities after conducting official investigations. Ultimately, in February 2017, the cassation court overturned the verdict against Dadin, and he regained his freedom.

Dadin's death on the front line moved many, reminding them of his fight for human rights and opposition to the Russian regime.

Ildar Dadin repeatedly emphasised that Putin's regime violates human rights on a massive scale, using violence and repression against opposition figures, activists, and ordinary citizens. Dadin himself was a victim of this when he was brutally tortured in prison, which he detailed in letters to his wife and the public. In a 2016 letter from a penal colony, he wrote:

Putin is personally responsible for the torture applied to me and other prisoners. The system he created allows for people to be beaten, humiliated, and tortured.

The oppositionist emphasised that Putin's regime does not tolerate opposition and uses security services and the legal system to intimidate, arrest, and silence critics of the government. He pointed out that there is no room for real, open political debates in Russia, and the government destroys any movement that could threaten its dominance. In one of his public speeches, Dadin referred to Putin with the following words:

Putin is a symbol of authoritarian power that has nothing to do with democracy. His rule is a system of oppression based on fear and violence.