On September 13, the National Endowment for Democracy, the Institute of Modern Russia, and the Free Russia Foundation will host a discussion on the potential of Russia’s democratic movement in the light of 2018 presidential elections in Russia. Russian human rights experts Vadim Prokhorov, Vladimir Kara-Murza, and Natalia Arno will join NED’s Carl Gershman and Miriam Lanskoy to share ideas on this central issue of the Russian politics.
Despite the Kremlin's crackdown on dissent, Russian people continue to assert their constitutional rights. On July 23, 2017, thousands took to the streets to march for "Freedom of the Internet." Depicted above is a protester wearing a t-shirt featuring Open Russia's #ENOUGH campaign logo; the banner he is holding says that the Russian Constitution guarantees freedom of the press and prohibits censorship. Photo: Sergei Fadeichev / TASS.
In March 2018, Russia's presidential elections will almost certainly result in a fourth term for Vladimir Putin. Putin's third term as president has been marked not only by Russia's invasion and occupation of Ukraine and the resulting sharp decline in US-Russia relations, but also by an intense crackdown on independent political activity inside Russia. New repressive laws have seriously challenged civil society organizations' ability to operate and sought to restrict Russia's independent media and internet freedom. The government has also targeted political opposition figures with legal persecution and violence, most notably with the 2015 assassination of the politician Boris Nemtsov.
Nevertheless, a courageous and committed Russian democratic movement has continued to adapt to these difficult circumstances and remains active today. National Endowment for Democracy, the Institute of Modern Russia and the Free Russia Foundation bring together the expert panel that will discuss the challenges and opportunities for this democratic movement in the run-up to Russia's 2018 presidential election and into Putin's probable fourth term.
A conversation with
Vadim Prokhorov
Personal Lawyer, Family of Boris Nemtsov
Vladimir Kara-Murza
Vice Chairman, Open Russia
Natalia Arno
President, Free Russia Foundation
Miriam Lanskoy
Senior Director for Russia and Eurasia,
The National Endowment for Democracy
moderated by
Carl Gershman
President,
The National Endowment for Democracy
Wednesday, September 13, 8:30-10:00AM
Room SVC-203
Washington DC, 20515
RSVP only. To attend this event, please register here.
