Dear Fellow Marylander,
Thursday morning, news broke that 16 people, including wrongfully detained Americans and other political prisoners, were released from Russian custody. Americans like Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, and Alsu Kurmasheva, as well as my friend, Vladimir Kara-Murza, were among the newly freed prisoners.
It was an emotional, joyous moment for all those who have fought for their freedom—from our allies in Europe, to the highest levels of the Biden-Harris administration and the State Department, and for me and my staff.
Vice President Kamala Harris was spot on when she welcomed Paul, Evan and Alsu home at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and said: “This is just an extraordinary testament to the importance of having a president who understands the power of diplomacy and understands the strength that rests in understanding the significance of diplomacy and strengthening alliances.”
This prisoner release was a testament to our nation’s enduring commitment to its citizens, but most importantly, this was a victory for the families, who have dreamed of this day—in one case, for more than 2,000 days.
Throughout these past months and years, I have been inspired and impressed by the unrelenting faith these family members have had that one day, their loved ones would come home. Even after the death of opposition leader Alex Navalny, they never gave up hope.
Paul’s sister Elizabeth used her own resources to travel to Washington and advocate for her brother, and made sure he received a steady stream of letters so he knew he was not forgotten.
Alsu’s husband Pavel organized and knocked on every door in the legislative and executive branch, working to make sure his children would get their mother back.
Evan’s parents Ella and Mikhail worked with the entire Wall Street Journal team to make sure that everyone knows journalism is not a crime. They organized a campaign so powerful that made it impossible to forget Evan and others were sitting in prison.
Evgenia Kara-Murza spoke out fearlessly about her husband’s imprisonment in the hearing room of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and I was proud to stand with her.
Because of their dedication, and the unwavering diplomatic efforts, we have witnessed the largest prisoner release from Russia since the era of the Soviet Union.
Since some of my very first days in public service, I have been fighting for human rights and, in particular, those who sought to escape from the Soviet Union. I have never given up on this mission, and in fact, just last Wednesday, I highlighted the story of Alsu Kurmasheva to media in the U.S. Capitol. Right now, Vladimir Putin poses many of the same threats to freedom and liberty in Russia and across the world that his predecessors did in the Kremlin during the Soviet era.
I know how difficult it can be to keep hope alive, particularly when so many who speak their mind against repression and autocracy remain unjustly behind bars. But Thursday was a good day. We brought Americans home. It was a victory for America and the values we hold dear. Such joy may not happen often in this space, but we need to remember these good days, as we continue to fight for justice, accountability and the freedom of political prisoners and others wrongfully-detained around the world.
In President Biden’s words, “There’s nothing beyond our capacity when we act together – nothing.”
Thank you for your time. Please feel free to reply to this email with your thoughts on this topic or any other. I value your feedback.
In solidarity,
Ben Cardin
