2023-04-18 10:22:51
Responding to the news that Vladimir Kara-Murza, a political activist and journalist, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison by a Russian court for “high treason” and other politically motivated charges for denouncing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Natalia Zviagina , Director of Amnesty International Russia, said:
“The 25-year prison sentence imposed on Vladimir Kara-Murza is another shocking example of the systematic repression of civil society, which the Kremlin government has expanded and accelerated since Russia invaded Ukraine last year. The so-called ‘crimes’ for which Vladimir Kara-Murza was tried – denouncing the invasion and speaking up for victims of human rights violations – are, in fact, acts of remarkable courage. This ruling wrongly links human rights activism to ‘high treason’, and is reminiscent of Stalin-era repression.”
«A week ago, Vladimir Kara-Murza returned to denounce the war in Ukraine in his last words before the court: “I know what my sentence is going to be. I knew it a year ago, when I saw in the rear view mirror of my car some people in black uniforms and masks running after it. It is the price that Russia pays today for not keeping silent. But I also know that the day will come when the darkness that now envelops our country will be lifted,” he said.
“That day will come inexorably, as spring comes even after the harshest of winters. And then our society will open its eyes and be horrified by the terrible crimes that were committed in its name.”
Additional information
On April 17, the Moscow City Court sentenced Vladimir Kara-Murza, a prominent Russian political activist and journalist, to 25 years in prison for “high treason” (Article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code), for having participated in a table for “knowingly disseminating false information about the Russian Armed Forces” (Rule 207.3.2) in a speech he delivered to the Arizona (United States) House of Representatives criticizing the invasion of Ukraine, and for “taking carry out activities of an undesirable organization” (article 284.1.1).
The charges of “high treason” were leveled for his “cooperation with a NATO country” with his public interventions in Lisbon, Helsinki and Washington DC, in which he condemned Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russian authorities are increasingly using these charges to detain, prosecute and convict human rights defenders, journalists and opposition figures who are critical of the invasion of Ukraine.
Vladimir Kara-MurzaThe 41-year-old father of three was a close associate of prominent opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, assassinated in central Moscow in 2015, and cooperated with the express conscience Mikhail Khodorkovsky, currently in exile, and others opposition political groups, human rights NGOs and independent media. He is known for his campaign for “list Magnitsky” and other specific sanctions against alleged perpetrators of human rights abuses in Russia. She survived two poisoning attempts, in 2015 and 2017, neither of which have been investigated by Russian authorities.
Vladimir Kara-Murza was arrested on April 11, 2022 near his home in Moscow. His health deteriorated while he was detained, and he developed polyneuropathy in both feet, according to his lawyers.
Amnesty International considers that Vladimir Kara-Murza is a prisoner of conscience, having been sentenced solely for his political views, and that he should be released immediately and unconditionally.
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