Forum 2000 strongly condemns the sentencing of Vladimir Kara-Murza for denouncing the invasion of Ukraine. We express our solidarity with Mr. Kara-Murza, his family and his just struggle. This conviction is unjustified and only confirms how important his work is.
“I stand by every word that I have said... Not only do I not repent any of this, I am proud of it," said Mr. Kara-Murza in his statement. He has an unflinching courage to stand up for his words for which we admire him and appreciate to have such bold person in our network.
Vladimir Kara-Murza is a member of the Forum 2000 International Coalition for Democratic Renewal (ICDR), a Russian opposition leader and a prominent human rights activist, who has been sentenced to 25 years in prison by a Moscow court for “treason and other offenses”.
Mr. Kara-Murza is one of the Kremlin's most vocal critics and a long-standing proponent of democratic values. He was arrested in April 2022 for speaking out against the war crimes committed by the Russian army in Ukraine and calling for the establishment of an international tribunal to hold those responsible accountable.
On March 21, 2023, more than 90 signatories joined in supporting Vladimir Kara-Murza. They called on Russian government to release him and acquit him of all charges. Signatories also urged the international community to join them in condemning the unjustified arrest and to hold the Russian government accountable for its ongoing human rights abuses.
Signatories of the statement included Francis Fukuyama, Damon Wilson, Garry Kasparov, Carl Gershman, Alexandr Vondra, Michael Abramowitz, and Timothy Snyder, among other exceptional personalities.
