But he is a hero.
Here is Roman Kachanov's speech in court in defense of his client Ekaterina Vologzheninova who was labeled an "extremist" and criminally charged and prosecuted simply for re-posting other people's political posts on social media.
The official charge is for “incitement of hatred or enmity, as well as humiliation of human dignity”, a criminal offense under under Article 282.1 of the Russian Federal Criminal Code.
Here is Roman Kachanov's client, Ekaterina Vologzheninova.
Here is a snapshot made by Russian media source Grani.ru of the court proceeding against Ekaterina Vologzheninova. Note that a court security officer in Russian court is allowed to conceal his face, like in a SWAT-team operation.
Here is Roman Kachanov's speech in her defense in court, in Russian, of course.
Here is my translation of Roman Kachanov's speech (my transcript of Roman Kochanov's speech from the original video recording, in Russian, is posted here).
"Freedom of thought and speech, constitutional freedom of thought and speech, allows me to stand in complete solidarity with the opinion of my client regarding actions of my country in the Ukraine.
I rarely side with my clients, it is actually the first time in my law practice, but here, being here as if I am a defendant, too - yes, I am perceived like that...
It is not by chance that I am here, together with my client, on this defense bench - the defendant is here close to me - I am also a defendant here, as are millions of Russian citizens who did not support occupational, land-grabbing position of my Motherland in regards to the neighboring sovereign state.
Did not support.
Millions.
So what now - all of them should be charged?
A war... Is going on...
Human corpses, people perish, people's pain and suffering...
Of course, people are emotional.
Of course, during war time it is acceptable.
How did the poet describe it?
"Strike at a German, kill him as many times as you see him"
(Roman Kochanov is alluding to the 1942, well-known in Russia WWII poem of Russian poet Konstantin Simonov "If you cherish your home and land", poetic translation is pending and will be published soon - T.N.).
And, when the poet wrote "German", he meant, naturally, fascism because it is an embodiment of the whole, if I may say...
One may make such generalizations during war time, when my people, my citizens, citizens of my country and my compatriots, are dying in a foreign land.
That's what Galich wrote - "citizens, our Motherland is in danger, our tanks are on foreign soil"
(Roman Kochanov is referring to Alexander Galich, a now-deceased and still famous Soviet poet, screenwriter, playwright, singer-songwriter, and dissident, and to Galich's famous anti-war song 'The immortal Kuzmin', poetic translation is pending and will be posted soon - T.N.).
Here are my... Our tanks are in the foreign land!
Of course, people are not indifferent to it.
And people are being gagged.
They are told: "be silent, do not express emotions, that's not your d****d business, it's our business to deal with it without you".
Of course, people are not indifferent.
Look at the pathos of these publications!
Look at this one verse alone!
"We are Russians! Know it, Russians do not surrender!
We will not surrender the Ukraine to you!"
This is positive pathos, aimed to extol Russians who are fighting.... citizens of the Ukraine who are fighting on the side of their Motherland, on their own land. Against aggressors and land-grabbers.
And now this text, the one that the esteemed state prosecutor referenced - regarding ... signed... where "volunteers" from Russia who fight are criticized ("volunteers" meant are Russian citizens who crossed into the Ukraine to fight against the Ukrainian armed forces - T.N.).
...criticism of volunteers from Russia, including Russian volunteers who fight in the Ukraine.
This is not simple criticism, this is, so to say... (licks his lips nervously) ... The author says - "how can you? You disgrace Russian people! Disgrace them!
The Ukraine... For 25 years it is a sovereign state, a member of the United Nations, a founding member, one of the founding members of the United Nations, an organization that has in its Charter the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
When Stalin attacked Finland, the Soviet Union was kicked out of the League of Nations - quickly!
They, probably, don't have the guts to do the same now.
But - what has happened is the same.
Why should Russian citizens be silent?
Why should they be mum as cattle, why should they be mum and yes-man the government?
When Kiselyov, from a state channel, wields his propaganda, when he says - "let's turn the United States into radioactive ashes" - that's not incitement of hatred and animosity?
That's not brainwashing of millions of our compatriots?
So...
You didn't have the guts to get at Kiselyov - right?
It is easier to get at a single mother caring for her own elderly mother...
Somebody read something somewhere...
Just think about it, she was persuading somebody somewhere in the rightness of her ideas... Her colleagues, somebody else...
So what?
Yes, she was persuading.
Yes, she was advocated.
Has an absolute right to do that.
And I am also persuading, and I am also advocating - those things I am sure about.
So what?
Let's charge everybody for it.
===
Attorney Roman Kochanov did not save his client from a clearly political conviction.
The odds were too great.
There is a tendency to charge people for contents of their political statements in Russia, as there is a clamp down on free speech elsewhere in the world - all under the guise of fighting terrorism.
Mr. Kochanov's client was reportedly sentenced to 320 hours of community service and to a completely medieval - and senseless - sentence of destruction of her laptop that she used for reposting on social media, and even sentenced to destruction of her computer mouse.
Yet, that Roman Kochanov valiantly fought for his client, the way he did, shows that, while such people like him exist, not all is lost for humanity.
If you watch and listen to him speak, whether you know the Russian language or not (the speech is short, just over 5 minutes), simply by observing Roman Kachanov's facial expression, his body language, his trembling lips when he is speaking, his occasional stammer and broken sentences, you can say that he is afraid to say what he is saying to the court.
Yet, he is saying it, on behalf of his client.
To do what Roman Kochanov is doing, at the time he is doing it, in the country he is doing it, in the political climate he is doing it, despite his likely and reasonable fear of repercussions for doing it, makes him a hero.
Roman Kochanov is one of many honest lawyers who are fighting for their clients everywhere in the world.
The toughest fight is the fight against unfair accusations of the government - government that has exponentially more resources and tools of suppression of both the client, and the attorney, than the attorney has.
Roman Kochanov was not demonstrating in the streets.
But, what he did is no less important, maybe, more.
He created an example for others inside and outside of his profession to follow, an example of integrity and standing on one's principles, even if when you are afraid, but when you think you are right, and when it is a matter of important principle.
Our freedoms and the future of democratic society rests on the courage of people like Roman Kochanov.
If in your time of need, you, for any reason, in your country, become "unpopular" with the government or people around you - because of who you are, because of what your thoughts and beliefs are - if you have nobody around you like Roman Kochanov who will be ready to put his own career and well-being on the line for your sake - because when people like Kochanov were discriminated and eliminated, you did not think it's worth it to defend them - then what?
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