Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly President Theodoros Rousopoulos today made the following statement:
"It is with great joy that I welcome, on behalf of the Assembly, the liberation of our friend Vladimir Kara-Murza as well as the other political prisoners who have reached safety today, after being detained unlawfully for expressing their opposition to the Russian Federation's war of aggression against Ukraine, and for their actions in support of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in the Russian Federation.
Their liberation in a prisoner exchange is an important achievement and a renewed call to action. The international community should stand united and put pressure on Russia and Belarus to respect international law. The Russian Federation and Belarus must release all political prisoners and end the persecution of those who dare to speak out against oppression and human rights violations. We cannot forget that many political prisoners in those countries still remain unjustly imprisoned, many of them held incommunicado, with their voices silenced by regimes that do not tolerate any form of dissent. As today's events clearly illustrate, our collective resolve can make a difference.
While sharing the relief of the families of the political prisoners who have been freed today, the Assembly continues to stand in solidarity with the families of the political prisoners who remain unlawfully detained in the Russian Federation and Belarus.
The Assembly will continue to support, through concrete actions, Russian democratic forces who share the Council of Europe's values and who demand the end of the aggression against Ukraine and a democratic future for Russia."
