[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 83 (Monday, May 16, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2520-S2521]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE RESOLUTION 632--CALLING FOR THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF RUSSIAN 
  OPPOSITION LEADER VLADIMIR KARA-MURZA, WHO WAS UNJUSTLY DETAINED ON 
                             APRIL 11, 2022

  Mr. RUBIO (for himself, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Risch, Mr. Menendez, Mr. 
Wicker, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Johnson, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Sullivan, and Mr. 
Grassley) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 632

       Whereas Vladimir Vladimirovich Kara-Murza (referred to in 
     this preamble as ``Mr. Kara-Murza'') has tirelessly worked 
     for decades to advance the cause of freedom, democracy, and 
     human rights for the people of the Russian Federation;
       Whereas, in retaliation for his advocacy, two attempts have 
     been made on Mr. Kara-Murza's life, as--
       (1) on May 26, 2015, Mr. Kara-Murza fell ill with symptoms 
     indicative of poisoning and was hospitalized; and
       (2) on February 2, 2017, he fell ill with similar symptoms 
     and was placed in a medically induced coma;

       Whereas independent investigations conducted by Bellingcat, 
     the Insider, and Der Spiegel found that the same unit of the 
     Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation 
     responsible for poisoning Mr. Kara-Murza was responsible for 
     poisoning Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and 
     activists Timur Kuashev, Ruslan Magomedragimov, and Nikita 
     Isayev;
       Whereas, on February 24, 2022, Vladimir Putin launched 
     another unprovoked, unjustified, and illegal invasion into 
     Ukraine in contravention of the obligations freely undertaken 
     by the Russian Federation to respect the territorial 
     integrity of Ukraine under the Budapest Memorandum of 1994, 
     the Minsk protocols of 2014 and 2015, and international law;
       Whereas, on March 5, 2022, Vladimir Putin signed a law 
     criminalizing the distribution of truthful statements about 
     the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation and 
     mandating up to 15 years in prison for such offenses;
       Whereas, since February 24, 2022, Mr. Kara-Murza has used 
     his voice and platform to join more than 15,000 citizens of 
     the Russian Federation in peacefully protesting the war 
     against Ukraine and millions more who silently oppose the 
     war;
       Whereas, on April 11, 2022, five police officers arrested 
     Mr. Kara-Murza in front of his home and denied his right to 
     an attorney, and the next day Mr. Kara-Murza was sentenced to 
     15 days in prison for disobeying a police order;
       Whereas, on April 22, 2022, the Investigative Committee of 
     the Russian Federation charged Mr. Kara-Murza with violations 
     under the law signed on March 5, 2022, for his fact-based 
     statements condemning the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian 
     Federation;
       Whereas Mr. Kara-Murza was then placed into pretrial 
     detention and ordered to be held until at least June 12, 
     2022; and
       Whereas, if convicted of those charges, Mr. Kara-Murza 
     faces detention in a penitentiary system that human rights 
     nongovernmental organizations have criticized for widespread 
     torture, ill-treatment, and suspicious deaths of prisoners: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--

[[Page S2521]]

       (1) condemns the unjust detention and indicting of Russian 
     opposition leader Vladimir Vladimirovich Kara-Murza, who has 
     courageously stood up to oppression in the Russian 
     Federation;
       (2) expresses solidarity with Vladimir Vladimirovich Kara-
     Murza, his family, and all individuals in the Russian 
     Federation imprisoned for exercising their fundamental 
     freedoms of speech, assembly, and belief;
       (3) urges the United States Government and other allied 
     governments to work to secure the immediate release of 
     Vladimir Vladimirovich Kara-Murza, Alexei Navalny, and other 
     citizens of the Russian Federation imprisoned for opposing 
     the regime of Vladimir Putin and the war against Ukraine; and
       (4) calls on the President to increase support provided by 
     the United States Government for those advocating for 
     democracy and independent media in the Russian Federation, 
     which Vladimir Vladimirovich Kara-Murza has worked to 
     advance.

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