Garry Kasparov, a Russian opposition figure and former world chess champion, cancelled his visit to Berlin after security services warned him of a potential threat to his life. Kasparov claimed that Russia is attempting to kill him, and instead of attending in person, he addressed the Freedom Dinner at the Berlin City Hall, Rotes Rathaus, via a video message.
Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner, who is also a patron of the event, was present at the dinner. Kasparov told the guests: "It depends on your politics and your security. That is the reason why I am not with you tonight." He added that people working in the security sector had advised him to postpone his trip to Berlin.
"You may have seen reports that Russia is trying to kill me. People working in the security sector strongly advised me that travelling to Berlin at this time would pose an unnecessary risk to my safety," Kasparov said. According to BILD, Kasparov was warned a month ago that he could be on a list of potential targets for Russian assassinations.
The Kyiv Post reported on earlier warnings from US and Lithuanian security services. According to that report, in early October, Kasparov was warned that he and Ivan Tyutrin, a Russian dissident living in Vilnius, could be targets of an assassination organised with Russian support. The Kyiv Post noted that Tyutrin told AFP that Lithuanian authorities advised him to urgently leave his home and get rid of his car. The same source stated that US authorities had indicted five individuals linked to the Kremlin, who are suspected of preparing attacks and killings targeting Russian dissidents and defectors in the US and other countries.
In his video message, Kasparov expressed hope that he would one day be able to return to Berlin. "I am sure that I will join you again one day. One day," he said. He also criticised European politicians for their attitude towards threats from Moscow. "But first you must face the fact that you have allowed Europe to become Vladimir Putin's playground," he said.
He also warned of wider consequences. "If they can get to me here, they can get to anyone. To your spouses and children, your colleagues," Kasparov said, asking: "Do I need to remind you that your former chancellor was a Russian lobbyist?"
According to BILD, Kasparov is a co-founder of the World Liberty Congress, an international network of democracy activists and dissidents, which is among the initiators of Berlin Freedom Week. The event takes place from 7 to 14 November, and the programme includes around 170 events dedicated to democracy, human rights and political persecution. Film screenings, exhibitions, debates, workshops and talks with witnesses to historical events have been organised. Among the initiators, alongside the World Liberty Congress, are visitBerlin, the Robert Havemann Society, the Berlin Commissioner for Dealing with the Past, and the Axel Springer Freedom Foundation.
Kasparov lives in exile in New York, and was scheduled to participate in person at the event, as he did last year.
