Mr. Speaker, Vladimir Kara-Murza has emerged as one of Russia's most respected democratic opposition leaders, a noted public intellectual and a voice of conscience. He is also a senior fellow with the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights in my riding.
He is no stranger to many of us in this Canadian Parliament. He has testified before us and was instrumental in our unanimous adoption of Magnitsky legislation.
Vladimir represents the very best of what Russians stand for and the country that Russia can aspire to be. Targeted for his principled leadership, Vladimir has survived two assassination attempts and nonetheless had the courage to return to Russia to oppose Putin's autocratic regime and his war of aggression and atrocities in Ukraine. For this, he has now been unjustly imprisoned and faces trumped-up criminal charges that can result in decades of imprisonment.
I know I speak for all members of this House when I express my condemnation of this injustice and call for Vladimir Kara-Murza's immediate release.