FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 23, 2024
HALIFAX, NS – Peter Van Praagh, President of HFX, awarded the HFX John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service today to Vladimir Kara-Murza.
The Prize was presented at the 16th annual Halifax International Security Forum – an event that Senator McCain long supported and promoted.
“Senator John McCain was a fierce advocate for freedom, democracy and human rights,” said Van Praagh. “He dedicated his life to service and to building a better world. Senator McCain was principled, values-driven and he showed through his actions, as well as his words.”
“This year’s McCain Prize winner is similarly a man of principle with a deep commitment to the truth and to fighting for the democratic rights of the people of Russia,” added Van Praagh. “For this, Vladimir Kara-Murza was poisoned, left in a coma and sentenced to 25 years in a Siberian prison for high treason. Like Senator McCain, Kara-Murza was willing to stand up for his beliefs even if it came at the price of his freedom. He is a very deserving winner of this year’s John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service.”
Vladimir Kara-Murza was released in August 2024 as part of the largest East-West prisoner exchange since the Cold War, negotiated by the U.S. and German goverments. Kara-Murza is a contributing writer at the Washington Post, winning the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for his columns written from prison. He currently serves as vice-president at the Free Russia Foundation, as senior advisor at Human Rights First, and as senior fellow at the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights.
HFX is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan organization based in Washington, DC. Halifax International Security Forum is made possible by the generous support from its partners, including the Government of Canada and Club HFX.
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