‘It’s harder to kill someone when the entire world is watching’: wife of Russian political prisoner

By Caroline O’Neill

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    OTTAWA (CTV Network) — The wife of detained Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza says publicity is the only weapon she has to help free her husband.

“I believe that it is much harder to kill someone when the entire world is watching … so I’m going to find enough strength to stand up to this regime,” Evgenia Kara-Murza told Mike LeCouteur on CTV News Channel’s Power Play on Monday.

Vladimir Kara-Murza was arrested in Russia in April. He faces upwards of 25 years in prison on charges of spreading what Russia has deemed false information about the actions of its forces in Ukraine and organizing an event in support of political prisoners, according to Evgenia Kara-Murza. He also faces charges of high treason.

Evgenia Kara-Murza also says her husband has survived two poisoning attempts: one in 2015 and one in 2017.

Evgenia Kara-Murza and Magnitsky-style sanctions architect Bill Browder were in Ottawa on Monday, as Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly announced another round of sanctions targeting Russian entities for spreading disinformation.

Magnitsky sanctions refer to sanctions meant to punish human rights abusers.

“I haven’t seen or talked to Vladimir since he was arrested in Moscow,” Evgenia Kara-Murza told LeCouteur. “Vladimir is a fighter, has always been a fighter.”

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Sonja Puzic