Russian activist Kara-Murza awarded Pulitzer Prize for writings from prison

Vladimir Kara-Murza, a well-known Russian human rights activist and critic of the Kremlin, recently received the Pulitzer Prize for his commentary written while he was in prison.

He is currently serving a 25-year sentence for speaking out against Russia's actions in Ukraine, a punishment that has been strongly criticized by the global community for being excessively harsh and driven by political motives.

Kara-Murza was awarded the Pulitzer prize on Monday for his passionate columns written for The Washington Post while in prison in Russia, despite facing personal risk. His writing highlights the dangers of dissent in Putin's Russia and advocates for a democratic future for his country.

Evgenia Kara-Murza, the writer's wife, expressed her deep sadness to the Washington Post that her husband was unable to receive the prestigious award in person. She also expressed gratitude to the Post for ensuring that Vladimir's voice is still recognized and heard.

Kara-Murza was initially detained in April 2022, hours after an interview with CNN in which he criticized the Russian president’s “regime of murderers.”

A police officer puts handcuffs on Kara-Murza during a court hearing to consider an appeal against his prison sentence in Moscow on July 31, 2023.

A police officer puts handcuffs on Kara-Murza during a court hearing to consider an appeal against his prison sentence in Moscow on July 31, 2023.

Maxim Shemetov/Reuters

The Kremlin critic faced trial for various criminal charges, such as treason, spreading false information about the Russian army, and supporting the activities of a banned group.

After Russia's extensive invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, criticizing the military was made illegal. The court decided that he would be sent to a strict correctional facility to serve his sentence.

Kara-Murza, who has been a vocal critic of Putin, has endured two poisonings. In March 2022, he addressed the Arizona House of Representatives to speak out against the war. During his interview with CNN in April 2022, the political dissident strongly denounced Putin's government for going after its critics.

He was arrested shortly afterwards for “failing to obey the orders of law enforcement,” according to his wife.

Editor's P/S:

The imprisonment of Vladimir Kara-Murza, a valiant human rights activist and Kremlin critic, is a stark reminder of the escalating suppression of dissent in