Kara-Murza calls for prisoners’ release in Ukraine
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Voice of America
Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza is calling for the release of prisoners of war and political prisoners to be included in any ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine. He made the proposal on 30 October in Washington, at a ceremony dedicated to political prisoners, according to Voice of America.
Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian opposition figure and former political prisoner, called on 30 October for the release of all prisoners of war and political prisoners linked to the war in Ukraine. He wants their release to be among the conditions of any ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine, he told Voice of America Russian.
Kara-Murza is calling in particular for the release of Ukrainian civilians held in Russian prisons, children taken from Ukrainian territory and Russian political prisoners prosecuted for opposing the war and the authoritarian government. He said negotiators should put detainees at the forefront of discussions, as negotiations also concern sanctions, frozen assets, territories and rare earths, according to Voice of America Russian.
Kara-Murza was arrested in April 2022 after criticising Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and sentenced in 2023 to 25 years in prison for treason and spreading “false information” about the Russian military. He was released on 1 August 2024 as part of a prisoner exchange between Russia and the United States, which also secured the release of Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan.
His appeal comes after the 30 October ceremony in Washington marking International Political Prisoners Day. His 17-year-old daughter Sonya Kara-Murza presented the stories of four detained Russian teenagers there, according to Voice of America Russian.
