The United States will continue to call for the release of Vladimir Kara-Murza

The United States will continue to push for the early release of Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza. Uzra Zeya, undersecretary of state for civil security, democracy, and human rights, said this in response to a question from Russia’s media service during a telephone briefing for reporters.
“That is the goal of the United States. I want to draw your attention to the Without Just Cause campaign that the State Department launched earlier this year as a sign of international concern and solidarity with political prisoners in the around the world who are in distress, unjustly detained for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and assembly”.
“I was honored to attend one of the summits organized by the Lithuanian Embassy earlier this week within the framework of the Democracy Summit, where I had the opportunity to meet Evgenia, wife of Mr. Kara-Murza,” said the United States Assistant Secretary of State.
Uzra Zeya stressed that “the United States will continue to do its best to demand his release and encourage others to join us in solidarity.”
Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian opposition activist and friend of Boris Nemtsov, killed in 2015, has been in detention in Russia for nearly a year. Criminal charges have been brought against him for disseminating allegedly “knowingly false information about the use of the Russian armed forces”, as well as for treason. On March 31, a regular hearing was held in Moscow, after which Vladimir Kara-Murza’s lawyer Vadim Prokhorov said that the opponent’s health had seriously deteriorated.
Additionally, commenting for the media on recent statements by US officials about their intentions to facilitate the work of international justice to hold Russia accountable for the aggression against Ukraine, Uzra Zeya said that “the support of the United States to a special tribunal in connection with the crime of aggression committed against Ukraine, and Russia’s responsibility for the continued brutality against the Ukrainian people is an essential part of our support for democracy in Ukraine.
“It should be clear that there is no doubt that Russia is committing war crimes, crimes against humanity and other atrocities in Ukraine. And we have made it clear that those responsible must be held accountable,” the senior US diplomat concluded.