WASHINGTON — Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and a bipartisan group of 15 Senate cosponsors called Monday for strong action after the murder of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov Friday in Moscow. Johnson, Shaheen and their cosponsors introduced a resolution laying out the known facts not only relating to Nemtsov’s work on behalf of freedom and human rights but to the violent deaths suffered by other critics of the Putin regime.

The resolution calls for a swift, transparent investigation of Nemtsov’s murder, and it calls on the Obama administration to take specific steps to bolster American support for Russian activists in the cause of liberty. It calls on the administration to follow Nemtsov’s recommendation to add specific names to the visa ban list provided for under the “Magnitsky Act.” Nemtsov was a strong partner and ally as the groundbreaking Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act was becoming U.S. law.  The resolution also encourages the administration to send a high-level American delegation to Nemtsov’s funeral and to significantly increase its support for like-minded partners in Russia.

The senators made these comments after the resolution was introduced:

“Boris Nemtsov truly dedicated his life to the cause of freedom and human rights, seeking to rid Russia’s government of the corruption that fuels authoritarianism. This courageous work in support of the universal and inalienable rights of the Russian people to freely choose their leaders and live according to democratic standards deserves our recognition.”

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