WASHINGTON—In response to confirmed reports of the Russian and Belarusian authorities’ release of multiple high-profile political prisoners as well as wrongfully detained US and German nationals, Freedom House interim president Nicole Bibbins Sedaca issued the following statement:
“We are deeply relieved to see the release of a large number of political prisoners and foreign hostages by the Russian and Belarusian authorities, and we are grateful to the governments of Germany, the United States, Slovenia, Norway, Poland, and Turkey for their hard work and dedication in securing the freedom of these brave individuals. We are particularly pleased that our long-standing partner and Freedom Award recipient, Vladimir Kara-Murza, is among those who have been released, along with US journalists Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva and Russian political and human rights activists such as Ilya Yashin and Oleg Orlov.
“The contrast between democracy and autocracy is on full display in today’s exchange. Democratic governments demonstrated their commitment to securing the liberty of people who have been unjustly imprisoned—both their own nationals and foreign democracy defenders who are working on the front lines of our shared struggle for global freedom. Vladimir Putin’s regime, meanwhile, has wrongfully detained citizens of Russia and held foreign visitors as hostages so that it could bargain for the release of known cybercriminals, fraudsters, spies, and assassins.
“We welcome all those released into free countries today, and we wish them a swift recovery from their confinement. While we are heartened that they will soon be reunited with their families and loved ones, Freedom House will continue to stand with the many others who remain unjustly detained by autocratic governments in Russia and elsewhere. We will not forget the years that the Kremlin stole from those it has now freed, we will not forget those whom Putin still holds in custody, and we will not stop supporting human rights defenders who are dedicated to the cause of freedom in Russia and around the world.”
Russia is rated Not Free in Freedom in the World 2024 and Not Free in Freedom on the Net 2023, and it is categorized as a Consolidated Authoritarian Regime in Nations in Transit 2024. Belarus is also rated Not Free in Freedom in the World 2024 and Not Free in Freedom on the Net 2023, and it is categorized as a Consolidated Authoritarian Regime in Nations in Transit 2024.
