On the recordMarch 4, 2015
The assassination of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov last Friday in front of the Kremlin was a reprehensible act that demands a thorough and independent investigation. Mr. Nemtsov was a political leader who had fought for democracy inside the system. His murder took place against the backdrop of Putin's continued suppression of the rule of law, political debate, and human rights in Russia. His murder follows the murder of other critics of Putin's tyranny, Anna Politkovskaya and Sergei Magnitsky. Today, Putin is rebuilding many of the barriers to individual freedom, democracy, and self-determination that were thought relegated to what President Reagan called the ash heap of history. As a former chairman of the Helsinki Commission in the final years of the cold war, I witnessed the yearnings of the Russian people not to be bullied through fear and control by their leaders. Vladimir Putin and his henchmen have created a culture of terror for those who oppose his rule and have increasingly isolated Russia from the world. Congress and the American people must keep speaking out against the erosion of the basic freedoms the Russian people achieved in the 1990s. This week, Mr. Speaker, the thoughts and prayers of the American people are with the family of Mr. Nemtsov and millions whose hopes and dreams he fought for throughout his life. ____________________
