Statement by Senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman

Statement

Senators Condemn Arrest of Opposition Members in Russia

U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) today released the following statement regarding the arrest of opposition members in Russia:

"While people around the world gathered last week to celebrate New Year's Eve, the Russian government arrested almost 70 individuals in Moscow as they peacefully sought to exercise their basic constitutional right to freedom of assembly. We are deeply disappointed by the arrest of former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov and other members of the opposition, and by the unjust prison sentences they have received.

"What makes this episode all the more shameful and outrageous is that the Moscow municipal government had granted a license for the rally at which these individuals were evidently arrested. In this respect, the treatment of Mr. Nemtsov and other members of the opposition should provide a stark warning to the rest of the world about the disregard for rule of law that has come to characterize contemporary Russia. Despite the start of a new year, it seems the same old culture of legal nihilism continues to reign in Russia."

Source