TRANSCRIPT:
Where truth is a crime, people count on Voice of America. I’m Rafael Saakov, anchor, editor and reporter at VOA’s Russian service. Before VOA went silent in March, we delivered news that our Russian-speaking audiences did not hear from President Vladimir Putin.
For example, how Vladimir Kara-Murza was arrested for speaking out against Russia’s war in Ukraine. His powerful speech to the Arizona House of Representatives shortly after the invasion landed him in prison. I had interviewed Kara-Murza regularly. Since his arrest, his wife Evgenia had been our guest, telling the truth to people back in Russia about Moscow’s political prisoners and about the Ukrainian children brought forcibly from the occupied territories.
I’ve been covering U.S. lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, who showed their support for Kara-Murza and other political prisoners in Russia. VOA Russian was there again when the Senate welcomed him back after a massive prisoner swap.
VOA tells important stories about the role the United States plays in protecting human rights. VOA tells the truth and people around the world trust us. That’s why we ask you to tell your members of Congress to save VOA.
Published
In September, Saakov will celebrate 10 years at Voice of America as a TV host, editor and reporter of its Russian Service, covering major political events, such as elections, inaugurations, debates and national conventions. He created and anchored the Russian Service's first live Sunday talk show “The Week” and was the sole VOA reporter at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. Prior to joining VOA, Saakov spent 11 years as a multimedia correspondent for the BBC's Russian Service in Moscow and London.