Vladimir Kara-Murza

In this bonus episode we bring you Laura’s full interview with Vladimir Kara-Murza and his wife Evgenia. The Russian-British citizen was jailed in Russia after criticising President Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine. Evgenia has been fighting for his release ever since, and last month he was freed as part of the largest prisoner exchange since the Cold War. Another Newscast with Henry and Paddy, as usual, follows this one.

On this special episode, we had the opportunity to speak with Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza during his visit to The University of Texas at Austin. Mr. Kara-Murza provides insight into the Russian dissident movement today, perspective on Mr. Putin and US-Russian relations over the last two decades, and personal reflections on the life and legacy of Boris Nemtsov before and after his assassination on February 27, 2015. We hope you enjoy! ABOUT THE GUEST (Image source: IRI. Kara-Murza accepting the Freedom Award on behalf of Boris Nemtsov from Senator John McCain, Nov 2015 https://www.iri.org/news/iri-honors-heroes-of-democracy-at-2015-freedom-award/ ) Vladimir Vladimirovich Kara-Murza (Russian: Влади́мир Влади́мирович Кара́-Мурза́, born 7 September 1981) is a Russian opposition politician and Boris Nemtsov’s protégé. He serves as vice-chairman of Open Russia, a NGO founded by Russian businessman and former oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, which promotes civil society and democracy in Russia. He was elected to the Coordinating Council of the Russian Opposition in 2012, and served as deputy leader of the People's Freedom Party from 2015 to 2016. He is the author of two documentaries, They Chose Freedom and Nemtsov. As of 2021 he acts as Senior Fellow to the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights. He was awarded the Civil Courage Prize in 2018. PRODUCER'S NOTE: This episode was recorded on February 9, 2022 at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. Mr. Kara-Murza appears courtesy of the Intelligence Studies Project (ISP) at UT Austin with support from the Global (Dis)Information Lab (GDIL); the Center for European Studies; and the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (CREEES). If you have questions, comments, or would like to be a guest on the show, please email slavxradio@utexas.edu and we will be in touch! CREDITS Assistant Producer/Host: Zach Johnson Assistant Producer/Host: Taylor Ham Associate Producer: Lera Toropin (@earlportion) Associate Producer: Cullan Bendig (@cullanwithana) Assistant Producer: Misha Simanovskyy (@MSimanovskyy) Assistant Producer: Sergio Glajar Executive Assistant: Katherine Birch Recording, Editing, and Sound Design: Michelle Daniel Music Producer: Charlie Harper (Connect: facebook.com/charlie.harper.1485 Instagram: @charlieharpermusic) www.charlieharpermusic.com (Main Theme by Charlie Harper and additional background music by Strobotone, Ketsa, Shaolin Dub, Jaco Pastorius, Polkavant) Executive Producer & Creator: Michelle Daniel (Connect: facebook.com/mdanielgeraci Instagram: @michelledaniel86) www.msdaniel.com DISCLAIMER: Texas Podcast Network is brought to you by The University of Texas at Austin. Podcasts are produced by faculty members and staffers at UT Austin who work with University Communications to craft content that adheres to journalistic best practices. The University of Texas at Austin offers these podcasts at no charge. Podcasts appearing on the network and this webpage represent the views of the hosts, not of The University of Texas at Austin. Special Guest: Vladimir Kara-Murza.

The Kremlin’s efforts to silence the Russian opposition have only increased since the attempted poisoning and subsequent imprisonment of Alexei Navalny. From expanding foreign agent legislation, to labeling organizations that promote free and fair elections as “extremist,” to imprisoning Navalny’s supporters and other opposition activists, the Russian government is unwilling to allow even activities that were normal only a few years earlier. Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian opposition politician and chairman of the Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom, described the increasingly repressive political atmosphere in Russia today, looking ahead to the Duma elections later this year and beyond —and what the future could hold given the growing anti-Putin sentiment in Russian society. Speaker: Vladimir Kara-Murza - Russian democracy activist, politician, author, and filmmaker; Chairman, Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom Introduction: Ambassador Mark Green - President, Director, & CEO, Wilson Center Moderator: Matthew Rojansky - Director, Kennan Institute