Released Russian dissident Kara-Murza visits US Congress

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russian activist Vladimir Kara-Murza shook his head in disbelief as he addressed lawmakers and diplomats in a U.S. Senate hearing room on Tuesday, just weeks after he was released from prison in Siberia in a major prisoner swap.

"The word surreal doesn't even come close to describing what I feel now," the dissident said at an event intended to highlight what participants described as the plight of hundreds of prisoners still detained in Russia for their political beliefs.

Coinciding with Kara-Murza's visit, Democratic Senator Ben Cardin, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will introduce this week the Bridge Act, legislation intended to protect Russians and Belarusians working to support democracy in their home countries.

According to a text seen by Reuters, the Bridge Act among other things would authorize funding to support independent media and civil society in Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and back a number of actions to support dissidents living outside their countries.

Kara-Murza was freed in an Aug. 1 prisoner swap from a 25-year sentence for treason after saying the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin was bombing Ukrainian homes, hospitals and schools.

His release came after a months-long campaign that included letter-writing by members of Congress and passage of a resolution calling for his release.

"Whatever the cynics and the skeptics will tell you, advocacy works and public attention protects and public attention saves," Kara-Murza said.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has positioned himself as a main backer of Putin since the Russian leader ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, part of which was launched from Belarusian soil.

Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, has denied there are political prisoners in his country, although he used the full force of his security apparatus in August 2020 to crush protests that broke out over allegations of a stolen election. Thousands of people were arrested.

On Monday, Lukashenko signed a decree pardoning 37 people convicted of crimes related to "extremism," the state news agency said.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Stephen Coates)