More than 90 signatories joined in supporting Vladimir Kara-Murza, a member of the International Coalition for Democratic Renewal (ICDR). Signatories of the statement include Francis Fukuyama, Damon Wilson, Garry Kasparov, Carl Gershman, Alexandr Vondra, Michael Abramowitz, and Timothy Snyder, among other exceptional personalities.
More than 90 signatories joined in supporting Vladimir Kara-Murza, a member of the International Coalition for Democratic Renewal (ICDR), Russian opposition politician and prominent human rights activist.
Signatories stand in solidarity with Mr. Kara-Murza, who 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. They call on Russian government to release Mr. Kara-Murza and acquit him of all charges. Signatories also urge the international community to join them in condemning the unjustified arrest and to hold the Russian government accountable for its ongoing human rights abuses.
It is important to remember that Vladimir Kara-Murza has faced two poisonings in retaliation for his outspoken criticism of the Putin regime's crimes and corruption. After his arrest in 2022, he was charged with high treason for making speeches about political repression and censorship in Russia. The official indictment said that his speeches “created a threat to the security and constitutional order of the Russian Federation and damaged the reputation of the Russian Federation on the international level.” His trial is ongoing, and he faces up to 24 years in prison if convicted.
Signatories of the statement include Francis Fukuyama, Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow, Stanford University, Damon Wilson, President and CEO, National Endowment for Democracy, Garry Kasparov, Chairman, Human Rights Foundation (HRF), Carl Gershman, Founding President, National Endowment for Democracy, Alexandr Vondra, Member of the European Parliament, Wai Wai Nu, Executive Director, Women's Peace Network, Michael Abramowitz, President, Freedom House, Timothy Snyder, Professor of History, Yale University, and other exceptional personalities.
Publicity is “the main weapon in the struggle for human rights” and this weapon should be used every time human rights are being violated and human dignity and life are endangered.
Evgenia Kara-Murza
The statement was prepared in cooperation with Democracy Today and support of Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights and builds on the previous resolutions of many national Parliaments and interparliamentary groups, including the letter of the Chairs or Foreign Affairs Committees and the Transatlantic Interparliamentary Statement.
International Coalition for Democratic Renewal (ICDR or Coalition) is a Forum 2000 Foundation project, which brings together a global group of intellectuals, activists, and politicians concerned with the expansion of power and influence of authoritarian regimes and the simultaneous weakening of democratic systems from within. The ICDR aims to reaffirm the fundamental principles of democracy, to take the offensive against the authoritarian opponents of democracy, and to demonstrate solidarity with the brave people who are fighting for freedom in undemocratic systems around the world.
