Liberal InternationaI names Vladimir Kara-Murza the 2023 Prize for Freedom Winner and demands his release
Press Release, 8.05.2023
Photo: Meeting of the LI Executive Committee / Photo from the LI web-site
Liberal International (LI) announced journalist and public figure Vladimir Kara-Murza the winner of the 2023 Prize for Freedom. LI also adopted a resolution submitted by the Yabloko party demanding the release of Kara-Murza and immediate provision of medical aid to him. Such decisions were made at the meeting of the LI Executive Committee, which took place in in Ottawa, Canada, in early May.
Liberal International is a worldwide association of liberal political parties. Since 2002, Russia has been represented in the LI by the Yabloko party, and since 2017, the founder of Yabloko, Grigory Yavlinsky, has been a Non-Executive Vice-President of LI.
“Vladimir Kara-Murza gives expression to the very best of what the concept of freedom represents, and whose heroism stands as an abiding example for all those who share a commitment to human rights, democracy, and the advancement of peace,” the LI press service quotes former Canadian Minister of Justice Irwin Cotler.
“Knowing the risks of returning to Russia, his courage and commitment nonetheless brought him back to Moscow to be the voice of the Russian people’s opposition to President Putin and his atrocities in Ukraine,” Cotler notes.
The Prize for Freedom is awarded annually to a well-known personality of liberal conviction who has made outstanding efforts for the defence of freedom and human rights. In 2004, Grigory Yavlilnsky became a winner of the Prize for Freedom.
At the initiative of the Yabloko party, LI adopted a resolution where it called the persecution of Vladimir Kara-Murza political, demanded that the sentence to him be overturned and the journalist released, and qualified medical care must be provided to Kara-Murza immediately and unconditionally, medical aid outside the Russian Federation inclusive.
In the resolution, LI called on the international community, the UN, the EU, international organisations and people of free will to demand from the Russian authorities to release Vladimir Kara-Murza and other Russian political prisoners, and stop repression against the dissent in Russia.
Posted: May 10th, 2023 under Freedom of Assembly, Freedom of Speech, Human Rights, Political Parties, YABLOKO and Other Political Parties, YABLOKO and the International Liberal Family, YABLOKO Sister-parties, Без рубрики.