Ekaterina told me of the painful decision to leave behind her 96 year-old mother, knowing she will probably never see her again. But she also has a son and grandson living in Kyiv, and hopes one day they will be able to meet for the first time in more than 3 years.

Fearing jail time, Ekaterina considered poisoning herself, but instead, with the help of RSF (Reporters Sans Frontières) and a network of volunteers, she sawed off her electronic tag, disguised herself, and fled through forests and over the border.

“Death is better than a Russian prison.” The words of Ekaterina Barabash, an exiled journalist I had the privilege to interview shortly after her extraordinary escape from house arrest in Moscow. She'd written Facebook posts denouncing Russia’s war in Ukraine and faced up to 10 years in prison.