Freed Russian dissidents said they refused to sign the clemency petition

Two opposition groups in Russia who were released during a prisoner exchange on Thursday said they refused to sign a letter requesting mercy to be sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin as requested by prison officials.

During a press conference in Germany, Vladimir Kara-Murza and Ilya Yashin said they did not plead guilty or give Russian officials their permission to be removed, and vowed to return home one day.

Mr Kara-Murza said the deal had saved “16 lives” and he was sure he would die in prison.

He added that many Russians are “against Putin’s war in Ukraine”.

The two men were released as part of the exchange, which saw 24 people arrested in seven different countries in exchange.

Among those released by Russia are American journalist Evan Gerschkovich and former Marine Paul Whelan.

Russians freed by the West include convicted murderer Vadim Krasikov, who was serving a life sentence in Germany for killing a Georgian-born Chechen dissident in a Berlin park.

On Friday, Mr Kara-Murza and Mr Yashin, along with fellow dissident Andrei Pivovarov, pledged to continue working for a “free” Russia and to represent political prisoners still held there.

The Russian rights group Memorial says hundreds of political prisoners are currently being held.

“I couldn’t believe I would see my wife again. I couldn’t believe I would see my family again and this feels like a movie,” said Mr Kara-Murza.

However, the negotiations were “going down the drain because many innocent people who have never committed a crime in their lives are kept in abusive conditions” in Russia, he added.

Freed protesters also paid tribute to Putin critic Alexei Navalny, who died in prison in February.

The White House said on Thursday that Mr Navalny should have been included in the deal.

Mr Yashin said: “The fact that Alexei Navalny is not with us is a crime committed by Putin, who is directly responsible for his murder.”

Mr Kara-Murza said he wanted to “remind people in democratic countries that Russia and Putin are not the same thing”.