Intellectuals and politicians in solidarity with Azat

Sergei Smirnov, editor in chief of Mediazona, said that we should keep on speaking about this «monstrous affair». Vladimir Ashurkov, politician and economist, admitted that Azat is «an example of courage confronted  with the system of oppression». Politician and political prisoner Ilya Yashin, writer Dmitry Bykov, astrophysicist Sergey Popov and historian Petr Ryabov had also expressed their solidarity with Azat Miftakhov.