Folha: ‘Verbitsky and the Importance of Freedom of Expression’

Reproduction of Marcelo Viana’s column in Folha.

Last Friday (the 12th), my Russian colleague Mikhail (Misha) Verbitsky, a researcher at IMPA (Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics ), was detained at the airport in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. There was reportedly a Russian arrest warrant against him for “incitement to terrorism.” These were tense and intense days at IMPA, as we tried to figure out what was happening, reached out to his lawyer, sought support from the Brazilian government, and appealed to the Armenian authorities for his release. Just a short while ago, on Tuesday (the 16th), Misha wrote to me to say that, after being released yesterday, he was allowed to leave Armenia. He is now safe and, finally, resting after the scare. In his long message, he also recounts what happened.

Misha is somewhat reminiscent of a kind character from a Russian Christmas tale: a long, graying beard, an affable personality, and an easy smile. He is an outstanding mathematician, specializing in differential geometry and complex geometry: for his scientific work, he was honored with an invitation to give a lecture at the 2014 International Congress of Mathematicians in South Korea. Born in Moscow in 1969, he moved to Brazil in 2017, where he has also distinguished himself as a mentor to young researchers.

A critic of the Russian authorities in his online posts, by that point he was already fearing possible reprisals, but we didn’t know just how great the risk was. He still returned to his country—the last time for his father’s funeral—taking a calculated risk. But the situation worsened, and since then his name has been added to Russia’s “wanted” list—which, under an agreement between the two countries, automatically led to his arrest in Armenia. “I made a terrible mistake,” he admits.

He remained in solitary confinement for 72 hours, waiting without knowing whether Russia would formalize its extradition request—which, regardless of the Armenian authorities’ eventual decision, would prolong his detention for several weeks. “It was very difficult,” he wrote, “I was very worried because everyone said I would spend months in prison.” “I had nothing to read—I’m a bookworm—and I couldn’t sleep even after hours of exercise.”

But he remained productive: “I wrote about 40 pages of math, and I’m very proud of the results!”
And then things worked out “miraculously.” The three days passed without the Russian government filing an extradition request; we’re not quite sure why. In an interview, Misha’s lawyer speculated, ironically, that “maybe it was because it was a long weekend in Russia.” But of course, the appeals from the mathematical community, discreet behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts, and the efforts of Misha’s many friends all played a role in Armenia’s wise decision to release him so quickly and allow him to leave the country.

Read the full column on the Folha website.