WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the following statement in reaction to the Biden administration’s decision to sanction Russian nationals complicit in perpetrating human rights abuses against Russian opposition politician and democracy activist Vladimir Kara-Murza. Today’s decision follows the senators’ September 2022 trigger letter requiring the administration to issue a determination on whether Vladimir Kara-Murza’s wrongful and ongoing imprisonment constitutes a gross violation of human rights:
“We are pleased to see the administration sanction several individuals responsible for serious human rights abuses against prominent democracy activist Vladimir Kara-Murza. In September 2022, under the auspices of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights and Accountability Act, we called on the president to make a determination about Mr. Kara-Murza's detention and imprisonment, and those responsible for targeting him. We are still awaiting a full determination but welcome these important sanctions. As we continue to call for Mr. Kara-Murza’s release, we emphasize that it is vital for the United States to continue to stand up for human rights, democracy, and freedom around the world, and show that we will hold individuals who violate these principles accountable for their actions.”
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Juan Pachon