Murphy, Johnson Ask Secretary of State Tillerson to Pay Close Attention to Vladimir Kara-Murza and Other Kremlin Opponents

Statement

U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), the Ranking Member and Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, sent a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson drawing his attention to the recent hospitalization and possible poisoning of Russian pro-democracy advocate and journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza.

"As you begin the difficult task of formulating the Administration's Russia policy, we write to ask you to pay close attention to a most troubling development," the senators wrote. "Mr. Kara-Murza is a friend of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Over the years, many Members of Congress and our staffs have met with him to discuss the deterioration of the rule of law, free speech, and press in Russia. He testified before our committee in June of last year about the punishment of dissent and the dangers that opposition activists face in Russia. In addition to numerous political prisoners, since Vladimir Putin rose to power in Russia, around 30 journalists, critics, and opponents of the Kremlin's policies have been killed."

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