On February 9, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu met with Yevgenia Kara-Murza and other representatives of the Free Russia Foundation to discuss Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine and the human rights situation in Russia. Andres Sutt (Reform), the leader of the Foreign Affairs Committee, emphasized that Vladimir Kara-Murza and other political prisoners in Russia must be freed.
Andres Sutt (Reform) said that, at the meeting, the members of the Foreign Affairs Committee confirmed their support to the democratic movement and to all people who fight for democracy and human rights in Russia.
“The Free Russia Foundation is doing excellent work to ensure that violations of human rights and international law in Russia will not go unnoticed. It is important to ensure that the voices of those who do not support the Russian regime and the ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine are also heard,” he said.
The members of the Committee condemned at the meeting the suppression of freedom of speech and independent media in Russia. “We also consider it important that Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was imprisoned last spring, and other Russian political prisoners are released and that the organizers of the repressions are brought to justice,” Sutt added.
Free Russia Foundation was founded in 2014. It is an international organization supporting civil society and democratic development in Russia. Founder of the Foundation Natalia Arno, workers of the Foundation Grigory Frolov and Nikolai Artemenko and Project Manager and translator Yevgenia Kara-Murza participated in the meeting with the Foreign Affairs of the Riigikogu.
Yesterday, Yevgenia Kara-Murza accepted the Cross of Merit of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs awarded to her husband, Russian political prisoner Vladimir Kara-Murza for his consistent and long-time work in standing for human rights and civil liberties in Russia.
In April last year, the chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees of 18 national parliaments and the European Parliament issued a joint statement (link in Estonian) in which they called on Russia’s authorities to immediately release Vladimir Kara-Murza.
Source: err
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