Yaroslavls Former Opposition Mayor Released After More Than a Decade in Prison, Plans for a Purposeful Life Ahead

The former mayor of Yaroslavl, a central Russian city, was released from prison on Tuesday after serving over a decade on corruption charges, which he and his supporters have consistently claimed were politically motivated.

“I aspire to contribute positively to my country and intend to devote the remainder of my life to this goal,” Yevgeny Urlashov stated upon his release from prison. “I aim to undertake significant actions, not trivial ones. Small endeavors do not captivate me.”

Urlashov was taken into custody in 2013, shortly after he declared his intention to run for governor of the Yaroslavl region. At that time, he was the sole opposition mayor of a significant city, having achieved a remarkable victory in 2012 against a candidate from the ruling United Russia party during a period of heightened anti-Kremlin demonstrations.

In 2016, a judge sentenced Urlashov to 12.5 years in a high-security facility and imposed a fine of 60 million rubles (approximately $760,000) after he was found guilty of soliciting a 17 million ruble bribe from a local entrepreneur. Urlashov has denied these allegations.

The human rights organization Memorial classified Urlashov as a political prisoner, contending that the charges stemmed from his breakaway from United Russia and his intention to campaign for governor of Yaroslavl under the slogan “Against crooks and thieves,” a phrase popularized by the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

On Tuesday, Urlashov mentioned his plans to reside in Moscow while frequently visiting the Yaroslavl region. He suggested that he has little interest in reentering politics, claiming that the Russian parliament has “lost its significance” and lacks real influence.

His arrest and incarceration occurred during a broader crackdown on local officials initiated after President Vladimir Putin resumed the presidency in 2012.