Congressman Cohen Observes International Political Prisoners Day

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), who was recently reappointed the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly’s Special Representative on Political Prisoners, today observes International Political Prisoners Day in solidary with the thousands around the world who are being jailed for merely speaking out against injustice. Congressman Cohen, the House Ranking Member of the Helsinki Commission, called attention to the Russian cases of jailed Vladimir Putin critics Alexey Navalny and Vladimir Kara-Murza, and Navalny associates Vadim Ostanin, Liliya Chanyshev, Daniel Kholodny and Ilya Yashin. In Belarus, he called attention to Maria Kalesnikova and Nobel Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski of Viasna and to the more than 1,500 Belarusian political prisoners that the State Department says are held by the Lukashenka regime. In Azerbaijian, he mentioned opposition politician Gubad Ibadoglu and journalist Baxtiyar Haciev, as well as the hundreds held unjustly in Saudi Arabia and China.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

“Political prisoners are courageous men and women whose consciences force them to speak for fairness, democracy and freedom from repression but whose voices are being silenced by autocrats. Today, the whole world takes note that these people deserve to be freed, and we call upon the dictators to end their repression and allow peaceful political opposition and free speech. As Vladimir Kara-Murza told me before he returned to Moscow and was jailed, the worst thing a political prisoner fears is being forgotten. We will not forget.”

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