WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement in response to reports that a group of Russian political prisoners recently went missing from their cells.
“The Kremlin’s secretive transfer of Russian political prisoners Lilia Chanysheva, Ksenia Fedeyeva, Sasha Skochilenko, Oleg Orlov, Ilya Yashin, and Kevin Lik is yet another brazen violation of human rights. Covertly moving these patriots to unknown locations without cause and without notifying their family or legal counsel is unacceptable, and I call upon the Russian government to immediately disclose their whereabouts.
“Lilia and Ksenia risked everything in their anti-corruption crusade alongside the late Alexei Navalny to create a better future for the Russian people. Sasha, Oleg, Ilya, and Kevin boldly opposed the Kremlin’s illegal war in Ukraine — an unprovoked conflict that has led to the deaths of more than 100,000 Russian soldiers. As Orlov rightfully declared, this war is ‘against the interests of Russia and Russian citizens.’
“While Putin’s reign will undoubtedly end, the heroism of these brave Russian citizens will continue to endure. The United States stands strong with them today and every day.”
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