McCain Institute issues joint statement calling on U.S. Department of State to designate Kara-Murza as wrongfully detained
Today, on the second anniversary of Vladimir Kara-Murza’s imprisonment by the Kremlin, McCain Institute Assistant Director for Democracy Programs Pedro Pizano explains Kara-Murza’s decision to challenge Vladimir Putin’s regime in his new op-ed: “Why Vladimir Kara-Murza Gave Up His Freedom.”
“Kara-Murza took his courage back to Russia for a greater cause. He shows us, if we care to look, what those of us lucky enough to be born among the slim share of people who enjoy liberty, sufficient wealth, and opportunity take for granted,” says Assistant Director for Democracy Programs Pedro Pizano. “If a liberal democracy is working as it should, its citizens can pursue their own ends rather than toiling to secure their freedoms.” Read the full op-ed HERE.
Four human rights groups – The McCain Institute, Free Russia Foundation (FRF), Human Rights Foundation, and the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights (RWCHR) called on the U.S. Department of State to designate Kara-Murza as wrongfully detained under the 2020 Robert Levinson Act. Read the 26-page report HERE.
Pizano’s letter to Kara-Murza from a recent event co-hosted with Senate Foreign Relations Committee, “From Beyond the Bars: The Quest for Freedom and Democracy in Russia,” was featured in a press release issued by Senator Ben Cardin’s office.
“We think of you every day. We continue to do everything we can for your and Russia’s freedom. Senator McCain would expect nothing less,” wrote Pedro Pizano, Assistant Director for Democracy Programs at the McCain Institute.
Read more about the McCain Institute’s work to elevate Vladimir’s case.