A group of eminent writers has appealed to Russian speakers around the world to convey the truth about the war in Ukraine by directly contacting Russian citizens using “all possible means of communication”.
The 17 signatories to the appeal include the Nobel laureate Svetlana Alexievich, a Belarusian author who writes in Russian. She won the Nobel prize for literature in 2015 for writing described as “a monument to courage and suffering in our time”.
Another dozen distinguished authors from around the world, including the Nobel laureate JM Coetzee, have backed the appeal.
It comes as the Russian government cracked down on access to news and information about the invasion of Ukraine by blocking websites and effectively closing broadcast outlets.
Access to the BBC, Radio Liberty and the German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle has been restricted after Russia’s parliament passed a law making it an offence to spread “fake” information about the armed forces.
Eminent writers urge Russian speakers to tell truth of war in Ukraine
Use ‘all possible means of communication’ to directly contact Russian citizens, 17 signatories say
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“Today the Russian language is being used by the Russian state to ignite hatred and justify the shameful war against Ukraine. In Russian, the official media keep repeating endless lies that are creating a smoke screen around this aggression.
“Russian people have been fed lies for many years. The independent sources of information have been almost entirely destroyed. The opposition leaders – silenced. The state propaganda machine is working with all its might.
“In this situation it is critical to reveal to the Russian citizens the full truth about the Russian aggression against Ukraine. About the suffering and losses of the Ukrainian nation. About civilians being targeted and killed. About the danger to the whole European continent. And possibly to the whole of humanity, given the fact of nuclear threat.
“You speak Russian. It matters. Please, use all possible means of communication. Phones. Messengers. Emails.
“Reach the people you know. Reach the people you don’t know. Tell the truth. If Vladimir Putin is blind and deaf, maybe the Russians will listen to those who speak the same language. This wrongful war should be stopped.”