Courage in the face of Tyranny - In conversation with the Kara Murzas
A close colleague of slain opposition leader Boris Nemtsov and a key architect of Magnitsky sanctions against top Russian officials, Vladimir Kara-Murza was twice poisoned and left in a coma, then sentenced to 25 years for "high treason" and released in August 2024 as part of the largest East-West prisoner exchange since the Cold War. He joins his wife Evgenia, who led the global campaign for his freedom, in conversation with multi-award winning journalist Magalie Laguerre-Wilkinson to reflect on what it demands - personally, politically and practically - to stand firm against authoritarian repression.
Speakers
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Vladimir Kara-MurzaRussian Politician, Author, Historian, Documentary Filmmaker and Former Political PrisonerVladimir Kara-Murza
Russian Politician, Author, Historian, Documentary Filmmaker and Former Political Prisoner
Vladimir Kara-Murza is a Russian politician, author, historian, documentary filmmaker, and former political prisoner. A close colleague of the slain opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, he served as deputy leader of the People’s Freedom Party and was a candidate for the Russian Parliament. Leading diplomatic efforts on behalf of the opposition, Kara-Murza played a key role in the adoption of Magnitsky sanctions against top Russian officials by the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, Canada, and Australia. For this work he was twice poisoned and left in a coma; a joint media investigation by Bellingcat, The Insider, and Der Spiegel identified FSB officers behind the attacks. In April 2022, Kara-Murza was arrested in Moscow for publicly denouncing the invasion of Ukraine and war crimes committed by Russian forces.
Following a closed trial at the Moscow City Court, he was sentenced to 25 years for “high treason” and kept in solitary confinement at a maximum-security prison in Siberia. He 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 governments. Kara-Murza is a contributing writer at The Washington Post, winning a Pulitzer Prize for his columns written from prison, and has directed three documentary films and authored or contributed to several books on Russian history and politics. He serves as vice-president at the Free Russia Foundation and holds senior roles at the McCain Institute, Human Rights First, and the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights. He has lectured at universities including Cambridge, Harvard, and Stanford. He is married, with three children.
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Evgenia Kara-MurzaRussian Human Rights advocate, Democracy Campaigner and Public SpeakerEvgenia Kara-Murza
Russian Human Rights advocate, Democracy Campaigner and Public Speaker
Evgenia Kara-Murza is a Russian human rights advocate, democracy campaigner, and public speaker. She has graduated with honors from the Moscow State Linguistic University and has worked as a translator and interpreter for several nongovernmental organizations, including the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict, PEN America, the Institute of Modern Russia. She has lectured at universities internationally, including Oxford and Harvard. After her husband, Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza, was imprisoned for denouncing the war in Ukraine, Evgenia led a global advocacy campaign for his release and for the release of other Russian political prisoners. Vladimir was freed in August 2024 along with 15 others as part of the largest East-West prisoner exchange since the Cold War.
A passionate advocate in her own right, Evgenia Kara-Murza is engaged in a global campaign of solidarity with Russian anti-war and pro-democracy activists inside and outside the country and continues to speak out on behalf of political prisoners. She currently serves as President of the 30 October Foundation, a nonprofit organization she and her husband established to provide financial support to families of political prisoners in Russia. Evgenia is a recipient of several international awards, including the Democracy Service Medal from the National Endowment for Democracy, the Lantos Human Rights Prize, and the Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Award from the International Republican Institute. Evgenia and Vladimir Kara-Murza have three children.
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Magalie Laguerre-WilkinsonMultiple Award-winning Journalist, Media Executive, and CEO and Founder, MagCap Media LLCMagalie Laguerre-Wilkinson
Multiple Award-winning Journalist, Media Executive, and CEO and Founder, MagCap Media LLC
Magalie Laguerre-Wilkinson is a multiple award-winning journalist, media executive, and the CEO and founder of MagCap Media LLC, a boutique media and events company specialising in global storytelling, live event hosting, panel moderation, and media coaching.
She most recently served as Vice President of News Programming and Executive Producer of Nick News at Paramount/Nickelodeon, where she led the network’s news division for young audiences. Prior to that, Magalie spent 16 years at 60 Minutes, America’s most-watched news programme, where she produced for legendary correspondents including Ed Bradley, Bob Simon, Lesley Stahl, Anderson Cooper, and Oprah Winfrey.
Her work has taken her across the globe, covering major international and domestic stories with depth and humanity. She was the lead producer on the acclaimed story of the Kimbanguist Symphony Orchestra in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which earned both Peabody and Emmy honours. Her reporting on Haiti, including an Emmy-nominated 60 Minutes piece on the 2010 earthquake, reflects a longstanding commitment to telling nuanced stories connected to her heritage.
Today, Magalie is shaping a new chapter at the intersection of journalism, conversation, and civic engagement. She is the creator and host of The What Just Happened? Podcast, a cross-generational series designed to help young people better understand the news shaping their world. Through thoughtful conversations with youth co-hosts, the podcast creates space for curiosity, critical thinking, and informed dialogue.
In addition to her journalism work, Magalie is a sought-after moderator and master of ceremonies, known for bringing intelligence, warmth, and global perspective to high-profile conversations and events. She has hosted and moderated for organisations including the French Institute/Alliance Française, Voices of Faith at the Vatican, the Haitian Ladies Network, and the American Friends of Rabin Medical Center.