Congressman Cohen Questions Experts about Political Prisoners and Hostages

WASHINGTON –Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), the House Ranking Member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today questioned expert witnesses at a hearing entitled “Hamas’ Hostages, Putin’s Prisoners, and Freeing International Captives: Towards Stronger U.S. and Global Action for International Political Prisoner Day.”

Congressman Cohen was appointed as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly’s (OSCE-PA) Special Representative on Political Prisoners in July 2022 and reappointed by OSCE-PA President Pia Kauma in September.

In his opening remarks, Congressman Cohen said in part:

“They’re so much alike – Hamas and Russia. They’re bullies who want to control the people that they despise, and they do not understand any of the concepts of humanity and getting along and trying to make the world a better place.

“I was appointed by our previous OSCE-PA President, Ms. Cederfelt, as the Special Representative on Political Prisoners…My charge is to bring the cases of political prisoners, of which Russia and Belarus are probably the two most egregious, to the world’s attention, one of whom is my friend, Vladimir Kara-Murza…He should have been declared  under the Levinson Act, ‘wrongfully detained.’”

Addressing Kara-Murza’s wife, Evgenia, a witness at the hearing, Congressman Cohen said:

“I feel for you and your children not having Vladimir. I’m doing everything I can. He told me once that the worst thing for political prisoners is to be forgotten.”

See the entire opening statement, including remarks on the threat to democracy posed by Donald Trump, here.

See his questioning of witnesses here.

Besides Evgenia Kara-Murza, witnesses at today’s hearing were:

• Irwin Cotler, Chair of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights and Former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada;
• Davyd Arakhamia, Parliamentary Faction Leader of Servant of the People Party and Chief Ukrainian Negotiator for Prisoners of War and Abductees; and
• Jared Genser, International Human Rights Lawyer and Managing Director of Perseus Strategies.

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