Over the summer, minutes after Donald Trump became the first former president in American history to be convicted of felony crimes, his campaign began fundraising. Emails flooded supporters’ inboxes with the words “I’M A POLITICAL PRISONER” and Trump’s picture. “Your support is the only thing standing between us and total tyranny,” the appeals declared.
Throughout my career, and especially as chair of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I’ve encountered numerous political prisoners and their families. I’ve embraced the spouses and partners of individuals imprisoned for speaking truth to power. I’ve stood beside the loved ones of journalists and opposition leaders, demanding their immediate release. I’ve mourned the deaths of these courageous individuals, whose lives were cut short by authoritarians who saw their dissent as a direct challenge to their rule.
Let me be clear: Donald Trump is no political prisoner. However, Narges Mohammadi is.
Throughout my career, and especially as chair of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I’ve encountered numerous political prisoners and their families.
Since 1998, Mohammadi — an Iranian human rights lawyer and activist — has faced relentless persecution at the hands of a misogynist Islamic Republic of Iran for her unwavering commitment to Iranians’ human rights. Her activism has led to repeated incarcerations, with her most recent sentences totaling almost 14 years in Tehran’s Evin prison, accompanied by more than 150 lashes. Last month, it was reported that she has once again been sentenced to additional prison time, the latest in a string of sentence extensions, and the Iranian regime continues to deny her critical medical care despite her deteriorating health.
Despite countless arrests and threats to her family, Mohammadi remains resolute in her campaign against mandatory hijab laws and the broader repression of all human rights, but especially the rights of women and girls. Around the world, her defiance stands as a powerful testament to resistance.
Last year, Mohammadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her human rights work. Her teenage children accepted the award on her behalf and read aloud her speech, which had been smuggled out of her prison cell.
“I write this message from behind the high, cold walls of a prison. The Iranian people, with perseverance, will overcome repression and authoritarianism,” she declared.
Her plight underscores the growing attempts by authoritarian regimes to stifle dissent and crush fundamental freedoms. Political prisoners like her endure torture, inhumane living conditions, forced disappearances and unimaginable forms of abuse. Despite these harrowing challenges, their courage is profoundly inspiring. It is a level of bravery that Trump can scarcely imagine as he relaxes amid his Mara-a-Lago comforts.
Make no mistake: Trump has never had to fight for his survival. But columnist and Pulitzer Prize-winner Vladimir Kara-Murza has.
Kara-Murza is a vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin who has condemned the dismantling of democratic institutions in Russia and the state-sponsored violence against political opposition and independent voices. Following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, he was one of the most prominent figures to denounce the annexation of Crimea and the Kremlin’s support for separatist forces.
His columns, rich in intellectual rigor and emotional depth, painted an unflinching portrait of Russia’s descent into authoritarianism. His public defiance against Putin, rare in Russia, showcased his staunch commitment to political reform, press freedom and civil rights.
Hours after an American television appearance where he was critical of Putin’s leadership, Kara-Murza was arrested for “spreading false information,” labeled a “foreign agent” and sentenced by Russia’s flawed judiciary to 25 years in Siberian penal colonies. His detention in these notorious prisons underscores the fear he instilled in Putin and his cronies.
Until recently, when he was released in a historic prisoner exchange, Kara-Murza was one of an estimated 1 million political prisoners worldwide who have been unjustly imprisoned for defending human rights, advocating for religious freedom, fighting corruption and exposing the dangerous acts of tyrants. These actual political prisoners have endured profound personal and familial upheaval, resulting in irrevocable changes to their lives and the lives of their loved ones. That is not what happened to Trump, who was convicted by a free, fair and legitimate judicial process on 34 felony charges. Real political prisoners, like Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Álvarez — unjustly incarcerated for more than 500 days and facing a 26-year sentence — often don’t get the luxury of fair trial and may be forced to live in exile, never to return to their homes. Álvarez is a fierce critic of Nicaragua’s government and has forcefully spoken out against President Daniel Ortega’s totalitarian regime and its ongoing persecution of the Catholic Church. On Aug. 4, 2022, authorities blocked Álvarez from leaving his residence to lead mass at the local cathedral. Álvarez had been a vocal critic of the government’s shutdown of Catholic radio stations and cruel human rights abuses as tensions deepened over the church’s support for anti-government protests that broke out in 2018 following social security changes. Consequently, he was placed under house arrest and investigated on allegations of “organizing violent groups” and inciting “acts of hate against the population.” While detained, Álvarez shared a powerful message of love with the world, asserting “we must respond to hate with love, to despair with hope, and to fear with the strength and courage granted to us by the glorious and resurrected Christ.” Earlier this year, the imprisoned bishop was finally released and expelled from the country along with 18 other clergy members. They now live in exile in Vatican City. These courageous people merit our sincere respect, collective attention and deepest empathy. Think of Buzurgmehr Yorov, a Tajik human rights lawyer renowned for defending the politically persecuted, who recently saw his 28-year prison term extended by 10 years on dubious fraud charges. Or Dr. Gulshan Abbas, a retired physician and ethnic Uyghur, sentenced to 20 years in prison by Chinese authorities on baseless charges. Reflect on Maykel Castillo Pérez, also known as “Osorbo,” a prominent Cuban musician and human rights advocate, who was arrested by security forces and remains behind bars after his song “Patria y Vida” become a national anthem for protest against the Cuban government. These are the true faces of resolve and injustice. Trump’s sentencing was delayed until after Election Day to avoid any impression of political influence or impropriety. As Justice Juan Merchan wrote in a letter to lawyers in the case, “the Court is a fair, impartial and apolitical institution.” Regardless of your political affiliation or partisan allegiance, we should all agree that Trump’s attempt to brand himself a political prisoner in order to fuel his campaign war chest insults the sacrifices of the very real political prisoners who have suffered and continued to suffer around the world. As America votes on Election Day, let’s remember those who have actually given up their freedom and even their lives for democracy and the protection of human rights — because they think those fundamental principles are still worth fighting for.
Sen. Ben Cardin
Sen. Ben Cardin, a Democrat who serves as the senior senator from Maryland, is the chair of the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee. 
